Asinus Protego
by Godricgal
Summary: Just days after Dumbledore's funeral, an anonymous tip off piques Tonks' curiosity. Whilst juggling their newly formed relationship, can she and Remus get to the bottom of the mystery before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

_No DH spoilers!_

_Originally written for the Last Chance Full Moon Showdown at MetamorFicMoon on Livejournal (see my profile for details!). As always, many, many thanks to MrsTater for her superb beta work and letting me ramble endlessly about the plot for this fic. _

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**Asinus Protego - Chapter 1**

Tonks leant against a filing cabinet as she listened to Robards drone on about the proper way to investigate possible Death Eater crime reports. Really, she'd been dealing with this war for twice as long as Robards had, and the meeting was useless enough to deem a pathetic waste of perfectly good baddie apprehending time.

This time last year, she'd thought things were about to get better, that finally, now the Ministry was acknowledging, albeit grudgingly, Voldemort's return, the Auror department would step up, fight the fight, start to nip the situation in the bud before it could unfurl into its ugly blossom. And they had, to some extent, she supposed, but it wasn't enough.

Not enough by a long shot.

Tonks glanced over towards Kingsley, who looked every inch as bored as she felt. He rolled his eyes at her surreptitiously and then turned back to Robards, with a neutral gaze.

Everywhere they turned they were faced with bureaucracy; common sense was stoppered by the need to keep up appearances; the requirement to _seem_ like they were doing a good job surpassed the need to _actually_ do a good job.

And she'd heard this all before; this insipid droning about reports and following public leads; to investigate what the Daily Prophet spent its column inches in fear mongering. Politicians and their infernal spin were not going to win this war; Voldemort could be playing kiss chase with his Death Eaters right out side the Ministry, and no one would know because all the bloody Aurors were listening to one of the said politicians reciting a monologue because he liked the sound of his own voice!

Tonks tuned out.

Meetings such as these _did_ afford their selfish bonuses, though; she made the most of it, as her mind drifted back to the previous evening... to the feel of Remus' body, solid and manly above her; his eyes locked to hers as they made love; the tender lilt in his whispered _I love you_ once they lay breathless and sated beneath sheets that moulded to their bodies.

She still couldn't believe it, really, that she had him back. That _he_ was back.

And she didn't think he could, either.

They'd laughed last night, really laughed, for the first time in an age; it had been liberating and wonderful. The lines that had been etched on Remus' face for the last year had seemed to lessen, somehow, the twinkle of mischief she loved to see had returned to his blue eyes. Laughter had been what they did best; it had been his sense of humour that had first attracted her to him and later, once she had fallen for him, she could laugh just by seeing his smile, or even simply thinking about him and the good fortune she'd had to meet him and have him fall in love with her.

Rather than the desperate and urgent lovemaking that had marked each night since their reunion, followed by falling asleep, exhausted, in Remus' fiercely protective embrace, as though he feared he might lose her if he dared let go for a second, last night had been relaxed and easy; an evening of teasing and story telling and languid kisses and gentle touches; an evening where horrors and death could be forgotten because it was vital to keep something for themselves. And just as her Patronus signified, Remus was her guardian of that something, as she was for him.

Remus understood that now, she thought. At least he said he did, and if his actions last night spoke of anything, it was that. Love, she'd told him, didn't discriminate against trials and tribulations; it didn't care because it wanted only to nurture and protect, to soothe and to share. It took the bad with the good because the good was worth it.

She couldn't wait to be back in his arms tonight, laughing with him, kissing him, making love with him. She'd been a year without him and now she couldn't get enough of him. He made her feel whole, complete, strong in a way she'd never felt before. If this blasted meeting could just be wrapped up, she could get back to laughing and kissing and building up a bit _more_ strength with a jolly good romp between the sheets.

Just as she shifted her attention back to Robards, he barked, "And finally, we've had a report of an Onocentaur under the Imperious Curse. Probably complete codswallop, of course, and from an anonymous source, but considering the ramifications of an Onocentaur at He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's mercy, we must keep it in the back of our minds." With that, Robards ducked his head and reached for his files, shuffling them roughly against the table surface.

"Do we have any idea where the report came from?" Tonks piped up.

"I said it was anonymous, didn't I?"

"You did," Tonks replied, trying not to sound put off by Robard's acidic tone, "I just wondered how the report was made, and to whom."

"It came in by owl, to Magical Law Enforcement, but it doesn't matter, girl, it's probably from a crack pot old fool after causing some trouble."

Accepting this time that she would get no further information, Tonks let the matter drop, but resolved to mention it to Remus that night. While Robards was more than likely right, she knew from experience that no possible threat should be disregarded, especially one so terrible, if true. A year ago, Robards would have agreed with her, but the last twelve months had taken their toll. He was being stretched in every direction with pressure from above. If he hadn't a tendency to take it out on his team, Tonks would have felt sorry for him.

"Dismissed!" he cried, before sweeping out of the room, his cloak flapping behind him.

Tonks exchanged a glance with Kingsley, across the room, hoping he could read her expression: we need to talk. She mouthed _Grimmauld_. When he gave a small nod of agreement, Tonks turned and left the room, stopping quickly at her desk to gather her things before heading for the employees' entrance of the Ministry.

Buoyed by her thoughts of spending the evening with Remus -- whether it was prefaced by a serious conversation or not -- Tonks walked with a spring in her step, enjoying the warming rays of the mid-summer sun and merrily humming the latest Weird Sisters hit, thinking how different things had been just a week ago. Then, even in the brightest of sunshine, the world had seemed grey, and despite the tremendous loss that still shrouded the Wizarding world in grief, everything seemed so much easier to face because she was going home to Remus.

She ducked into the alley many Ministry employees used as an Apparition point when the weather was fair and turned to Apparate to the less than salubrious alley several houses down from number twelve. The Dementor mist was more pronounced here, away from the Ministry where the soulless fiends had yet to find the gall to linger. She shivered, and hurried the few metres to the front door, let herself in, and closed it swiftly behind her.

She paused for a few moments, listening intently for the sound of voices to give away Remus' possible location. There were none, which gave her an excited jolt because that meant, at this time of day, Remus would be in the library. _Alone. _They'd be able to say hello properly before Kingsley arrived.

She tiptoed carefully down the hall, past the snoring portrait they _still_ hadn't been able to get rid of, and up the stairs to the first floor, grinning when she saw, through the half-cracked door, Remus sitting at the desk he'd laid claim to long ago, frowning in concentration at the parchment he held in his hand. She'd always thought he looked adorable when he was focused on something. Of course, she preferred it when he was focused on _her_.

When she pushed the door open, it screeched noisily and he looked up, a broad smile leaking across his face; it brightened his eyes and took years off his features, as he pushed back in his chair and stood, making to walk towards her.

Tonks, suddenly shy, because this really did feel like the heady days of a new relationship all over again, offered him a small smile, dropped her bag at the door, and said softly, "Hello, you."

"Hello yourself," Remus replied, holding out his hands to her. Taking a step forward, Tonks placed her hands in his and he pulled her close, drawing her arms about his waist and then enfolding her within his own.

She looked up at him, and Remus bent his head to kiss her softly. When he pulled back, he let his lips dally on her forehead, warming her completely.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"Not too bad," Tonks said, burying her face in the soft wool of his worn jumper, breathing his scent and feeling at home in the strength of his arms. "Robards was a bit of a dick, and there was a rather boring meeting to sit through, but I did come out of it with something we need to talk about."

"Oh?"

"Later." She tightened her arms around him. "It's nothing that can't wait a few. Kingsley will be here soon and I'd just like to sit with you for a bit, if that's okay, before getting down to business."

"Of course," Remus replied. "Last thing you want to be doing the second you get home is talk shop. Do you want something to drink, a snack or anything?"

"No, just a cuddle, please."

"We are cuddling," he replied, nuzzling her temple playfully.

"You know what I mean, a proper cuddle, on the sofa."

"Ah, so this is a second rate cuddle, is it?"

He was being purposefully annoying, but Tonks couldn't help but laugh, mostly because she was so very, very happy and so very, very relieved to hear him back to his normal self -- gittish tendencies and all. His dip in self-confidence had killed her almost as much as the raw emptiness she'd felt without him.

"There's no rates of cuddles, just different types, and right now I would like one that doesn't involve standing on my poor battered feet," she retorted.

"Well in that case…" Remus swept her into his arms, making her squeal, and carried her over to the settee. He lowered her to the sofa, and then lay down beside her, sandwiching her between the back of the sofa and the solid warmth of his body.

"How was your day?" Tonks asked, once she'd finished snuggling into the most comfortable position she could find, tucking herself into Remus so that there was not a hair's breadth between them.

"Pretty average, all things considered," Remus replied, as his hand worked its way underneath her robes to trace faint circles on her back, making Tonks shiver, and wonder distractedly what they might get up to later on, when all business had been taken care of. "I've been reading for most of the day; had a chat with Minerva about Hogwarts reopening or not. We just keep going round in circles with it, and she needs to make a decision. And soon, otherwise we won't have time to make the proper arrangements."

"I don't think Robards is going to be terribly keen to send an Auror contingent this year," Tonks said.

"I had feared he wouldn't be. What has he said?" Remus asked.

"Just that the department is stretched enough as it is and could ill afford to lose the bodies."

"If the school opens, it will need Auror protection more than ever. Without Dumbledore…"

"I know," Tonks said, turning her face into Remus' chest.

They fell silent then, and still, apart from Remus fingers still moving up and down her spine, soothing her, helping her relax as she tried hard to dispel the weight that settled in her chest at the mention of Dumbledore's death and the general accompanying gloom.

Soon, the steady rise and fall of Remus' chest against hers, the feel of his fingers on her skin, and his very presence carried her to a brief respite from all that. When he moved his hand from her back to her chin and tilted it up to face him, gazing at her for a few moments, as though he could look right through her, before lowering his lips to hers, she really did lose all train of thought. Nothing and no one existed but him and her, as his tongue darted out to part her lips to slide against hers. She felt as though she could melt into him, like she was part of him. He made whole what the trials of the day had eaten away.

And she knew the same was true for him. She knew they now both met and matched the power each held over the other; they were truly a partnership of equals, and, though the past year had been more difficult, had caused more hurt than she'd ever thought possible, she had wondered over the last few days, especially today, after the magical night before, whether this fight, that empty pain and aching need, had been required to get to this point. They still had a way to go, she knew that, but they had a solid platform on which to build their future, such as it was in the face of uncertainty.

Remus' hand fisted in her hair, pulling her mouth firmly against his as he kissed her fiercely, and she kissed him back, feeling a searing heat rise between them, and which, she realised with no small amount of regret, they must temper, if they had any chance of not being caught flushed and breathless when they heard Kingsley's clomping gait mounting the stairs.

_If they even heard him at all_.

"Remus," she managed to gasp against his lips.

"Hmm?" he murmured in reply, as his lips left hers to forge a blazing trail to her jaw.

"Kingsley…Be here…Soon."

She felt the disappointment in Remus as his lips slowed their hurried movements. He buried his face in her neck, his breath coming in staccato puffs against her skin. "You're addictive, do you know that?" he asked breathily. "I could kiss you for a lifetime."

"You will be the only man to kiss me for our lifetime," Tonks whispered, as Remus looked up, his eyes darkening as he looked at her intensely. "Can you content yourself with that?"

"I shall have to." He bent down to kiss her softly, sweetly, and then lent back and sat up, running a hand through his hair as though composing himself, which, Tonks supposed, he undoubtedly was. Tonks took a few deep breaths herself, before sitting up and running her own hand through his hair.

"Later," she whispered. Remus' eyes locked with hers and a thick crackle of energy passed between them, sending a physical jolt right through her that translated in her brain as a mental curse against whatever part of her had thought asking Kingsley to come over tonight was a good idea after the night she'd had with Remus yesterday; when she felt so high, so drunk on love and touching him, kissing him, tasting him, seemed irresistible.

"Yes," he said, "later." He looked at her for a few moments, eyes roving over her face, briefly down to her lips and further down her body. "You know," he said, with a slight chuckle, "I do sometimes wonder if you hold the more mature side of this partnership; _my_ old argument seems to trot off into insignificance, when I consider that it never crossed my mind to stop just now."

Tonks tittered lightly, because she knew she ought and Remus meant it in a light-hearted manner. But could he have any idea how much of a leap and a bound forward it was, in her mind, that he could make light of his past misgivings?

"You're probably less concerned about getting caught in the act because Kingsley would never have the guts to take the Mick of you, whereas with me, he'd never waste an opportunity to rib me surreptitiously at work," Tonks said.

"Possibly." Remus said, his tongue darting out to wet his lips before he continued, his expression suddenly serious. "I mean it though, and I meant what I said the other night about being sorry for using our age difference as an excuse. It was insulting to you, to your intelligence and your commitment to me."

It was as though fireworks were going off in Tonks' stomach. Though he'd said a fair few such things over the course of the last few days, their effect had not lessened. It threw her over the moon and back again to know that his actions were backed up in words spoken so honestly, so sincerely, and she very nearly proved him very wrong by throwing herself at him _and_ throwing caution -- and Kingsley -- into the wind.

Quickly gathering her thoughts, and storing them safely for later, she stood, held out her hand to him and said, "You can't say things like that, Remus Lupin, and expect a girl to hold on to her sensibilities without a battle. We'd best head on down to the kitchen to wait for Kingsley, lest the temptations of the sofa prove too much for this girl to handle."

Remus laughed. "You don't think we could manage to lose ourselves in something on the temptation of the kitchen table?"

Tonks looked at him levelly, and held out her hands to him. "If you think I could manage the balancing act that kind of something on a kitchen table requires, you must not know me as well as I thought you did."

"Oh, I know you alright," Remus said as he took her hands and pulled himself upright. "But now I'm wondering if you know _me_."

"Excuse me?" Tonks looked at him, tilting her face to one side and arching an eyebrow.

"When have I ever let you fall?"

Momentarily stumped in their bantering, Tonks allowed Remus to turn her by the shoulders and guide her out of the room.

"In any case," Remus continued, his breath hot on her ear, "it's a moot point. Different say, if we were talking about _your_ kitchen table, but there's something intrinsically wrong about doing that kind of thing just feet from Kreacher's den."

"He's not here anymore, though," Tonks said, even though she didn't know why she was arguing with him on this point.

"Does that matter?"

"No," Tonks said, laughing, "I suppose it doesn't. Little dirty bastard."

"Quite." Remus added his own chuckle to the mix as they headed down the stairs to the hallway. His hands fell away from her shoulders as he moved in front of her and took her hand to lead her down to the kitchen.

Candles danced in their sconces, casting flickering shadows over the clean, clinical expanse of a kitchen past its heyday. It had been a long time since Molly's culinary touch had passed over the kitchen, though Tonks could almost smell the rich stews and tasty roasts of times past.

No one came here much now, not since Sirius died. The house had lain empty for much of the last year, only used as a last resort for Order meetings until Remus had returned a couple of months ago, at the end of his mission, with nowhere else to go. And now they stayed here often, but even combined their culinary abilities were nothing short of abysmal, so they rarely cooked.

Tonks often thought that with some hard work and a multitude of paint charms, the house could be made hospitable. She'd wondered, and asked Remus about it, if Sirius deliberately had kept some of its dark past in which to wallow, as though he couldn't let go what had passed here, as hateful as it had been, it was still a tie to a former life that couldn't be regained. Remus had been non-committal in his response, saying that he couldn't answer objectively after having watched Sirius spiral out of control within its confines.

"Would you like some tea, now?" Remus asked, letting go of her hand as she moved to take a seat at the long wooden table.

"Actually, do we have any Butterbeer?" she asked.

"Think so," Remus said, walking towards the larder.

He'd just disappeared inside, when Tonks heard the front door go. A few seconds later she heard Kingsley's booming voice call, "Hello?"

"Down here, Kingsley!" Tonks shouted back.

Kingsley entered the kitchen at the same moment Remus emerged from the pantry with a couple of Butterbeers in one hand and a single, larger bottle in the other.

"Butterbeer, or elf-made wine?" he asked, adding, "Hello Kingsley."

"Evening, Remus," Kingsley replied, "Wine definitely gets my vote." He took a seat opposite Tonks and nodded to her in greeting, which she returned with a smile.

Remus turned to Tonks, his eyebrows raised in question. "Wine works for me," she said.

Remus nodded and turned to busy himself with opening the bottle and fetching glasses. She watched for a few moments, admiring his graceful movements and wondering that something as simple as playing the lady to Remus' man of the house should stir such a sense of pride, and she knew he took pride in it, too.

He'd always been very adamant that she let him do things like fetching drinks, serving her at the dinner table and carrying heavy bags and boxes. It had annoyed her slightly at first, made her feel uncomfortable that he should do all the work. So they'd argued and she'd felt simply awful when he'd been forced to tell her that he needed to do these things because it was all he could offer without the means to spoil her rotten with flowers and chocolates and meals in fancy restaurants. She'd relaxed then, and allowed herself to enjoy it; she'd missed it sorely when he'd gone.

And now they were as good as living together -- even if it had only been for a few days -- she felt it more keenly. Getting back together had been an all or nothing affair as far as Remus was concerned. They hadn't said much at first. Remus had found her slumped in the hallway outside the hospital wing, reached for her hand, and led her away to his room. Then they'd lain, side by side, simply looking at each other, offering simple touches as though trying to confirm that the other was really there. Then he'd promised her, pressing her hand to his heart with his, that he was hers and always would be and told her he wanted everything with her; marriage, children, the whole works, at the proper time and place. It had been dizzying and wonderful, and still it felt like a fairytale.

"What did you think of Robards' lecture, Tonks?" Kingsley's voice broke through her thoughts.

Tonks dragged her eyes away from Remus, and turned them on Kingsley. "I, erm," she said, not entirely in control of her faculties.

Kingsley rolled his eyes.

"Not much," Tonks said. "You?"

"Same. Why is it that the instant you put someone with a modicum of competence in a position of responsibility their brain cells start flying out the window like owls in a post office?"

"Post-promotion pillock pox," Remus said smoothly. "Common ailment, no known cure."

Kingsley let out deep, appreciative chuckle, along with Tonks' snigger. "You're right there, mate," he said.

At that point, Remus levitated a goblet of wine in front of Kingsley and Tonks, who both murmured their thanks, and Remus himself ambled over, goblet in hand, and took his seat next to Tonks. He picked up one of her hands, twining their fingers together, and settled their joined fist on his knee.

"So, what happened today that you need to talk about?" he asked.

Kingsley jumped in before Tonks could answer. "I don't understand the significance of it myself," he said, "but Tonks seemed to think it was cause for concern?" He raised his voice in question, addressing Tonks.

"Yes, it is." Tonks said. Turning to Remus she continued, "There's been an anonymous report made of an Onocentaur under the Imperious Curse. We don't have any more details than that because, as we've already established, Robards is a pillock of the highest order, but I do intend to do some digging around tomorrow, to see if I can find the report."

"That can't be true," Remus said, shaking his head, "Onocentaurs do everything they can to keep away from Wizardkind. They can sense us, and they know when to move and run."

"I know, Remus, but with the consequences, don't you think we have to investigate it a little?"

Remus took a breath to answer, but Kingsley cut in. "Could you explain, please? I don't understand the threat."

"Of course, sorry," Tonks said. She looked to Remus and nodded at him to go ahead.

"Onocentaurs have the torso of a man and the body of a donkey," he started.

"That much, I know," said Kingsley with a chuckle.

"Just let him get on with it," Tonks said, with a roll of her eyes, "he's gone into professor mode. No helping it." She laughed when Remus sent her a mock glare.

Kingsley motioned with his hand for Remus to carry on, an amused glint in his eye.

"They are an ancient breed, possibly among the oldest in the magical world. Secretive and elusive, their existence was only confirmed in the fourteenth century. Onocentaurs hold in their blood the very essence of magic itself. The ability to control it, to bestow and take away."

"They give can give magical powers?" Kingsley asked.

"No," Tonks said, raising her goblet to her lips and taking a sip, "their blood holds the key to the power to do so. If say, it was drunk by Voldemort, or a Death Eater, they would be able to take away the magical power of anyone, or give anyone -- a Squib, a Muggle -- the ability to perform magic. But the Onocentaurs have no ability to control it themselves."

"That's why they keep to themselves," Remus continued, "they are the carriers of great power, but hold none of their own. Throughout the centuries, they have strived to protect the magical force that lies dormant in their veins. They go to great lengths to cut themselves off from Wizardkind, to avoid detection and exploitation."

"So their blood, could, theoretically, take away Voldemort's power?" Kingsley asked, a little sceptically.

"Not even theoretically. It could." Remus replied.

"But I suppose they won't give it to anyone."

"No, they would never willingly do that. For centuries they have run from forest to forest, nomadic creatures in the quest to escape detection. I do not know where they are currently rumoured to be inhabiting, nor do I know anyone who _would_ know. It is possible Dumbledore may have kept notes on the subject."

"Might the Centaurs be able to tell us where they might be?" Kingsley asked.

"It is unlikely," Remus replied. "The Onocentaurs are said not to have a high opinion of the Centaurs. They are creatures of humility and think little of the Centaur's high and mighty attitude."

"So where do you think we should go from here, Remus?" Tonks piped up.

Remus thought for a moment, and then said, "I think that you or Kingsley needs to find that report, on the quiet, if you can. I'll see if I can find anything in Dumbledore's notes that might relate to Onocentaurs -- it can't be a possibility that he discounted -- and talk to Hagrid, to see if he has heard anything. There are creatures in the Forest other than Centaurs that might know something."

Then as an afterthought he turned and addressed Tonks. "Anything else you can think of?"

"I think that those are good first steps, but as a back up, we might bear in mind that Newt Scamander might be a good source of information, although we do want to keep this as quiet as possible," she replied. "Kingsley?"

"All sounds good to me," he said. "Shall we meet for lunch tomorrow and come up with a plan to find this report, or do you want to do it tonight? Frankly, I'm dead on my feet, and probably not in the best frame of mind for scheming. Not that plotting against the Ministry is all that arduous, bunch of incompetents that most of them are. 'Specially that lot in Magical Law Enforcement, bunch of wannabe Aurors; lazy to boot, passing off every other case to us…"

"Kingsley, I've heard your Magical Law Enforcement rant at least twice this week. Spare us?" Tonks said wearily. "We'll meet for lunch tomorrow."

Kingsley scowled at her and Remus chuckled beside her, squeezing her hand lightly.

They passed the next half an hour or so making idle chit chat, and it felt more normal than any she'd passed in the last year, though a little odd without Sirius. Remus was once again at her side at the kitchen table, her hand was where it belonged: tucked in his, and despite the gravity of some of the conversation, Tonks felt her spirit soar. She and Remus would fight this war together, and determination to battle their way through to the end would carry them to the other side, so that normality didn't include the weighty discussion of matters of life and death.

_To be continued..._

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_**Author's Notes:**__** Onocentaurs are 'real' mythological creatures, but the only thing I've not made up is that they're part human, part donkey. For your traditional review bride, I'm offering to dispatch Remus for a cuddle rating session after a hard day's work. Thank you for reading, and if you review, then thank you very much for that, too. **_


	2. Chapter 2

Tonks stepped out the employee's exit of the Ministry, thankful that her work day had finally come to an end. Even so, she startled when she checked her watch to see that it was six o'clock. Was it really that late? She took a deep breath, in the hope that a little fresh air would perk her up a somewhat. The day had been more eventful and more productive than the previous, ergo, that much more stressful.

It had all started in the morning, with an incident involving a handful of Death Eaters and a Muggle aeroplane at Manchester Airport. Fortunately, the Death Eaters hadn't been the cream of Voldemort's crop, and appeared to be renegade; they'd fled the moment a team of Aurors had arrived at the scene, before too much damage had been done. The Department For Magical Cover-ups and the Obliviators had ended up with a higher workload than the Aurors, who'd left after a cursory examination of the scene; still, Tonks could have done without it.

The afternoon had been filled with small reports coming in from all over the country. After an elderly wizard reported an Inferius lurking around his property, she'd Apparated over to Harefield. Turned out it had just been a Muggle Goth, prowling around with the intention of breaking in to steal some cash. Tonks had reassured the man and then put in a call to the Muggle Police. 

Somehow, she and Kingsley had managed to snatch a twenty minute break to plan how they were going to get their hands on the Onocentaur report. They'd met in a small Muggle café just down the road from the Ministry. It hadn't taken them long to agree that Kingsley would provide a distraction by making a loud fuss over the mishandling of another case while Tonks, morphed, searched the file room of the Magical Law Enforcement Office.

And it had been easy to find, stowed away in the 'Most Likely Insane Ramblings' folder of the 'Unlikely To Be Followed Up' filing cabinet. She'd wondered briefly if perhaps she might take up Kingsley's Magical Law Enforcement rant herself before long. She'd quickly copied the report, filed it in place and stowed the original safely in her robes.

All in all she was feeling a little tired, and very much looking forward to another end of day cuddle on the sofa with Remus, and, once they'd spent an hour or so on the report, settling down for a nice meal, and an evening alone with him.

Not that they were planning to cook; they'd agreed that morning that she'd pick up some cold meats, some cheese and a ready-made salad from the delicatessen on her way home from work. Which was where she was currently heading. She was just wondering whether it would be worth popping to the bakery to see if there were any French sticks going, and was quickening her pace toward that destination, when a female voice called from behind her. "Miss Tonks?"

Tonks spun on the spot, possibly a little too quickly; she fought to keep her balance as her wand hand automatically positioned itself near her holster.

Seeing that the person who'd addressed her was just a girl, she let out a slow breath as she relaxed -- but she couldn't help staring. The girl's long, dirty blonde hair was pulled up in a flyaway ponytail; from her ears dangled a pair of acorns, and she wore a long, flowing dress in wild shades of turquoise and magenta. Her eyes were wide, as though fixed in a permanent expression of surprise.

Tonks recognised her instantly as one of Harry's friends who'd fought at the Ministry, in the battle last June. What was her name? Lena, Lana…?

…Luna, that was it.

Luna Lovegood. Daughter of the notoriously dotty editor of The Quibbler. Luna Lovegood, of whom Remus had spoken fondly, if not with a degree of amusement.

"Miss Lovegood?" Tonks said.

Luna's face remained impassive as she said, "You recognise me." It wasn't a question, and there was no emotion in her voice, but somehow, Tonks detected a measure of surprise from the girl.

"I made a point to find out the names of all the people to whom I should be indebted for helping their friends," Tonks answered, thinking that the girl was even stranger than Remus had suggested, after he'd brought pictures of those brave kids she hadn't known while she was under observation in St. Mungo's.

Luna looked momentarily confused, but then brightened, "Oh, you mean the night we went for a ride on Thestrals! Beautiful creatures, you know, even if they did used to serve the Arch Lord of Baghorn. He's dead, now, though…." 

"What?" said Tonks, baffled, not least of all because Luna's defining memory of that night seemed to be their mode of transport...

"Anyway," Luna continued, "I wondered if I could have a word with you. I know you're friends with Harry -- and I saw you with Professor Lupin at Professor Dumbledore's funeral, so I know you can't be part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, and I thought I could trust you."

_What the heck was the Rotfang Conspiracy? _

Tonks blinked, and didn't have time to recover her wits before Luna added, "Why is your hair not pink today? I thought it looked rather nice on you."

"I…" Tonks said, struggling to catch her thoughts as she reached up to run her hand though hair that was spiked in her usual style, but today, black, then realised it was the one bit of the conversation so far she could hold on to. "I've been in the field today, and wearing pink hair in the field is rather like sticking a target on one's forehead." She took a deep breath. "But I don't think you wanted to talk about my hair?"

"My father," Luna replied. "He disappeared last week, and I just thought with all that's going on, I ought to mention it to someone."

Tonks felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen, when a man, hurrying along the street, bumped into her. Where was the girl's common sense?! she thought, as she struggled to maintain her balance. Here they were in the middle of a war that got bloodier with each passing day, with people disappearing right, left, centre, above and below, and it took Luna a _week_ to bloody report her father's disappearance?

Tonks grabbed Luna's elbow and pulled her to a quiet corner of the pedestrianised street, outside a shop that had been closed down sometime around 1842 -- or so it seemed to Tonks, judging from the grime on the windows and the dust inside, who then wondered why she was thinking about closed down shops when there were far more pressing issues at hand. 

"Don't you think you should have reported this sooner?" Tonks asked.

"No, not really," Luna replied airly, "I mean, he's been travelling in Latvia, looking for Twin-Nosed Compulbonitons -- fascinating creatures, you know; it's said they only…"

"Luna!" Tonks cut her off, finding her feet a little more in this bizarre conversation. "Your father?"

"Oh, yes," Luna said, "I wouldn't normally be worried, but he caught a Wrackspurt a couple of weeks ago, and really wasn't himself for a few days. Just wandered around in a daze."

"A Wrackspurt?" Tonks asked, wondering how noticeable a 'daze' must be for this girl to pick up on it.

Luna frowned at her, giving Tonks the impression that she thought an Auror really ought to know what she was talking about. "They're invisible and fly in through your ears to make your brain fuzzy."

"Right," said Tonks, not believing it for a minute, but making a note to check with Remus later, just in case. Though she wondered how annoying he'd be if it turned out to be a complete figment of Luna's imagination, which she ought to have sussed straight away. "So how long did he stay like that?"

"About a week," Luna replied, fiddling with one of the acorns absentmindedly. "Then I think he must have run into a Follybow or something because he came home one day with dreadful allergies; sneezing all over the place and saying ridiculous things under his sneezes."

A sense of foreboding darkened Tonks' thoughts, and the middle of the road, just down the street from the Ministry was not the place for this conversation. "Luna, are you staying alone at the moment?"

"Yes, it's just Dad and me, and he thinks I'm old enough to look after myself now and then," Luna replied. 

"I'd feel better if you'd come and stay with Remus -- Professor Lupin -- and me tonight," Tonks said. "There's something I'd like to check, and it's not worth it at the moment to take unnecessary risks."

"Well, okay," Luna said, her face still impassive. "But it's really nothing to worry about."

"Humour me, Luna," said Tonks, placing her hand on Luna's shoulder to guide her towards the nearest Apparition point.

Half an hour later, after Apparating to Stoat's Hill Head so Luna could pack an overnight bag, and Tonks sent Remus a Patronus, explaining that she was bringing Luna to Grimmauld and briefly why, they were standing on the steps of number twelve, and Tonks was unlocking the door. There still seemed to be no reasonable explanation for Dumbledore having lifted the Fidelius Charm from Grimmauld a few days before his death, as Remus had learned from a note left in the Headmaster's office, but Tonks certainly found it convenient today.

She ushered Luna inside with a muttered warning to stay quiet and not to touch anything. Tonks closed the door firmly behind them, and then led Luna -- who seemed unfazed by the oppressive air of Grimmauld -- through the hall and down the steps to the kitchen, where Remus had said he'd be waiting.

Remus rose from his seat and strode towards them the second they entered the room. "Hello Luna, good to see you again," he said. Then his eyes travelled to Tonks', silently telling her he was pleased to have her home.

"You can kiss if you want," Luna piped up. "I won't look." 

Fighting a wave of mild embarrassment, Tonks rolled her eyes at Remus, who, she noticed as he bent to kiss her cheek, bore the distinct mark of a man of confidence; perhaps nothing about their relationship could embarrass him after her outburst in the hospital wing.

"I've made up one of the spare rooms," Remus said. "Ginny and Hermione shared it when they stayed here. Tonks, could you take Luna up, please, and show her where the bathroom is, so she can freshen up for dinner?"

Dinner, Tonks thought. She'd completely forgotten to go to the deli.

"Remus…Dinner, I...I was on my way and then I ran into Luna and…"

"It's perfectly all right, Tonks," Remus said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "We can have that tomorrow. For now we have some cheese and some bread, and I think there is a jar of pickle. I'll make some sandwiches. Take Luna up and I'll get started."

His eyes were so sincere that she couldn't help but smile back at him. It wasn't perfectly all right, though, she thought in a strop; they had planned a romantic dinner, and not only did they not have the tasty spread they'd anticipated, they also had company.

"It's all right," he said again, more softly this time, and she could see in his eyes that he wanted a few moments alone with her, so she nodded, and turned to lead Luna out the room.

A few minutes later, she found herself back down in the kitchen with Remus' arms tightly wrapped around her, his lips firmly against hers for a much more satisfying kiss then they'd managed in front of Luna. Tonks let herself become lost in him for a few moments, relishing the comfort of his touch after a long day.

All too quickly, Remus was giving her one final kiss and his forehead came to rest against hers. "So what's sent your alarm bells ringing?" he asked softly. 

Tonks sighed and said heavily, "I think Luna's father may be under the Imperious Curse."

Remus' eyebrows arched in surprise. "What makes you think that?" he said, dropping his arms from around her and turning back to slice the cheese.

"Before I start, I haven't forgotten all my Care of Magical Creatures lessons and the existence of the Wrackspurt, have I?" she asked, picking up a knife and dragging it across a pat of butter.

"A Wrack what?" Remus said.

Tonks buttered a piece of bread Remus had sliced. "That's what I thought. According to Luna, they get in your brain and make it fuzzy."

Remus stopped, mid-cheese slice, and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "They make your brain fuzzy? I thought sex did that."

Tonks laughed. "Sex with _you_ makes my brain fuzzy."

Their laughter died as they shared a few moments, heavy with a longing to be in their bed, sharing the comfort and pleasure they'd been without for so long and now couldn't get enough of.

"Come on, let's get this over with so we can get to bed and see how fuzzy-brained we can make each other," Remus said, breaking their gaze and turning back to finish chopping the cheese.

Tonks took a few seconds to compose herself, and then turned back to her task. As they put the sandwiches together, she told Remus what Luna had said about her father's strange behaviour.. When she'd finished her explanation, she asked, "Doesn't that sound like he might have been put under the curse, and then started to fight it?"

"It does, rather. Did she say anything about strange visitors or unexplained goings on?" 

Tonks laughed. "No, she didn't, but five minutes with the girl was enough to convince me she'd find a perfectly logical -- in her mind anyway -- explanation for anything the rest of us would normally label 'unexplained'."

Tonks had just cut the sandwiches into fours when she heard Luna making her way down the stairs. She arranged them haphazardly on a plate, and plonked it in the middle of the table, while Remus lay out side plates, and set a Butterbeer at each place.

Luna entered the kitchen and Remus bade her take a seat opposite the two he and Tonks had long ago made a habit of occupying at dinner. "Did you find everything you need?" he asked as he pulled Tonks' chair out for her.

"Yes, thank you. Is this your house? It's a bit dark, isn't it?" Luna replied.

Tonks was a little taken aback at the girl's frankness, but Remus didn't seem fazed as he calmly answered, "We're just looking after it, and yes, it is a bit dark, but there isn't much time for painting and decorating at the moment."

He picked up the plate of sandwiches and offered it to Luna, who took two. Then he placed a couple on each of Tonks' and his own plates. 

"So," Remus continued after they'd all taken a bite, and cracked their butterbeer bottles, "Tonks tells me you're father was acting a little strangely before he went missing."

"Yes," Luna said. "Miss Tonks told you about the Wrackspurt?"

Remus nodded. "She did. And after that your father started saying strange things?"

"That's right."

"What kind of ridiculous things was he saying?" Tonks asked, wondering _how_ ridiculous something would have to be for this girl to label it as such.

"Oh, I couldn't make out half of it. All the sneezing, you see."

Tonks sighed. "Can you remember anything at all?"

"Not really. Oh, I do remember him saying something about The Forest of Dean, because the next day he came home all back to normal and announced that he was going to Latvia to watch for the Twin-Nosed Compulbonitons, which, actually, I thought a bit odd, too, because it's not the right season for them. They're normally only around in Spring."

Remus looked up sharply. "The Forest of Dean?"

Luna hummed. "I've never been there, have you? I read about it in a book once, it's supposed to be very pretty, but full of Feral Fairies at this time of year, which I did try and tell him, but he just sneezed at me." 

Luna continued talking, elaborating on the dangers of entering a forest full of Feral Fairies, but Tonks found it rather hard to follow. She glanced at Remus to see his face wearing a mask of veiled concern. Obviously he knew something about The Forest of Dean that was of significance.

After a while, Remus pulled the conversation back. Luna had nothing much else to tell them; that, they established in an hour of conversation. Eventually, Tonks brought the discussion to a close and suggested they all get an early night, asking that Luna tell them if she remembered anything specific at all.

A few minutes after Luna had headed back up stairs, after hastily clearing the table and doing the washing up, Remus and Tonks headed up to their room, hand in hand.

"The Forest of Dean meant something to you," Tonks said, holding on to the end of the bed for balance as she pulled her trousers off. "What?"

"In Dumbledore's notes…" Remus said slowly, folding his jumper neatly and placing it on the dresser. "I found some notes about the Onocentaurs. Nothing much, just a few scribbles in a journal. The Forest was mentioned."

Tonks tensed at the first sign that there truly was something to the Onocentaur report. "This is connected?" she said slowly. 

"It's possible," Remus replied. "We need to tell Luna, and find out if she can possibly remember any more."

"Do you really think that's wise?" Tonks said. "The girl is a loon. No telling what she might do or say."

"She's a little eccentric, yes," Remus replied, slipping into bed, "but she's not stupid. Remember what she did at the Ministry." His voice held a note of gentle reproof.

Tonks hung her head slightly, she of all people knew not to form judgement on the basis of first impression. Luna _had_ been one of only three people left uninjured after the battle at the Ministry. "You're right, sorry."

Remus held out his hand to her, she took it and he gave hers a slight squeeze. "I don't think we should tell her about our case, just what we suspect about her father, see if she has any more information she can tell us and then we can decide what's to be done."

"Okay." Tonks let Remus pull her into bed. She sighed deeply as she slid to the pillow and then rolled on her side to face him.

"You look tired," he said, lifting his hand and tracing the side of her face with his fingers, making her shiver.

"So do you," Tonks replied, shifting a little closer and placing her hand on the warm skin of his hip.

He rolled her onto her back and leaned over her as she wrapped an arm around him. "If you think I'm too tired to make love to you," he said, "I'm not."

Though Tonks felt her body physically react to his words and to him being pressed against her so intimately, she couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "What if _I_ am?"

Remus raised his eyebrows with what she thought was a combination of amusement and scepticism. "Then of course," he said, "I will be a perfect gentleman. But _are_ you?"

"No," Tonks admitted with a laugh. "But I wouldn't mind just cuddling up for a bit first. Unless there's a risk you might fall asleep and miss out on later activities."

"I think there's little chance of that, I want to know how fuzzy-brained I can make you." Remus made to roll away, presumably so Tonks could nestle into her usual niche on his shoulder, but she, relishing the weight of his body against hers, tightened her arm around him. 

"Stay like this," she whispered.

His eyes burned on hers for a few seconds before he buried his face in the crook of her neck. His lips, though not moving, touched her skin. After a few moments, no sound met her ears but their slow, steady breaths. Her left hand lay across her chest, her fingers just shy of resting against Remus' cheek.

"Do you ever wish we could get a house in the middle of no where," she asked softly, after a while, "or even just a room with a bed in it? We could Accio food from the nearest village. The Death Eaters would never find us." 

Remus lifted his head and she felt his gaze upon her, though she kept her head turned to the side.

"Do you want to get married?" he asked.

She turned slowly, and met his gaze -- intent and earnest.

She thought she ought to feel shocked, maybe squeal a bit, shout from the rooftops -- fuzzy-brained even...But she only felt a deep and profound sense of calm, of what was right.

She searched his eyes, his face, for a long time, and then nodded.

Remus' expression relaxed into a wide smile, which she felt mirrored on her own face.

While she hadn't, for a second, doubted his feelings for her since they'd been back together -- nor had she really during the year they'd been apart -- his question touched a deeper part of her.

Could he possibly know how much the utterance of faith that lay in the proposal of marriage meant to her? Before their break-up, when everything had been perfect, she'd only seen marriage as the next natural step in their relationship. Now though, she felt a longing to bind herself to him, to belong to him…

_As she would want to do to no other. _

Wordlessly, Remus sat up a bit, propping himself up on an elbow. He raised his free hand, open palmed, and she just glimpsed something small and shiny flying through the air before his fist closed around it. He picked up her hand by the end of her fingers and slipped a small, silver ring on her forth. It held a single diamond in an intricate setting; clearly, it was old.

_Old and beautiful_, she thought, in delight, as she watched the jewel sparkle in the light from the bedside candle.

"It was my mother's," he said simply, closing his hand around hers and then he bent to press a single lingering kiss to her lips.

"I love you," he whispered when he pulled back. "So much."

"And I love you."

They were _engaged_, and it was all so simple. And that was how love should be, she thought: just one man expressing his devotion to one woman, and a mutual desire to spend their lives together and make of it what they could.

And she was so glad, so relieved, so undeniably happy that she'd been given the chance to experience this. She'd never really considered herself a romantic; but perhaps she'd just always thought that romance was about big over blown gestures, expensive gifts and passionate declarations and she didn't want that.

But it wasn't.

_This_ was real romance: sharing a quiet moment of truth that was so moving because it meant so much to her, and knowing it meant so much to the person she loved more than anything in the world.

She tightened her arm around him, drawing their joined hands to her heart.

Her eyes flickered from his eyes to his mouth, to the supple pink lips she wanted pressed against hers; she felt beneath her hand the raw heat of his body she wanted moving against her. 

And then he was kissing her again, touching her as she wanted to be touched by no other.

Outside, the Dementors soared, weaving through the night, spreading darkness and misery, and in the house, the ghosts of a sorry past lingered in hallways and dampened the air. But in this room, at this moment and wound tightly in Remus arms, kissing him for all she was worth and reaching out to touch a deeper part of him, all Tonks felt was warmth, and love…

And _hope_. 

Grateful beyond measure that they had the opportunity to make right what circumstance had put to wrong, Tonks felt herself drift off on waves of pleasure as Remus' mouth found her breasts and his hands, underneath her, pulled her to him.

Consumed with the desperate need to return what he gave, she let her hands touch him, felt his body react beneath them. Sounds of pleasure rumbled between them; his name hissed from her lips as hers tumbled from his, over and over.

They moved together, Tonks feeling rather than thinking how all her love for Remus could be expressed like this...how utterly adored he made her feel in the way he moved against her...revelling in the way that, in Remus' arms, with their bodies joined and locked in total intimacy, the world, and her place in it made sense…

They were to be _married_. 

That single thought coupled with a sharp rise in glorious tension the length of her body, and she could feel it in Remus, too. She whispered it to him and they broke together, tumbling into rapture, bodies arching against the other, snatching breaths against lips and around cries of bliss.

They lay against each other for some time, pressing kisses to damp faces, whispering of their love and amazement of what they could feel together -- definitely fuzzy-brained.

Once they'd both caught their breath, Remus whispered sleepily, "What kind of wedding do you want?" 

"A small one," Tonks replied. She idly brushed his fringe away from his eyes. "Just you and me."

She watched as Remus adopted an expression of mild surprise through heavily lidded eyes. "You don't want some of our friends there?"

"We can have a small party or something later on, but I'd rather it was just about us. I don't want to think about anyone but you. Is that okay?"

"Sounds like the perfect wedding to me," Remus said, and then bent to press a kiss to her forehead. "I just thought you'd want something a bit bigger."

"I just want to be your wife. Nothing else matters."

"Nothing else matters," he murmured, as he bent to kiss her.

And it didn't. It really and truly didn't.

They would get married. Together they would stand strong and fight in for their right to live their lives as they wanted, and for others -- the Lovegoods -- to have the same freedom: free from prejudice, at liberty, when the time came, to raise a family in safety.

Remus shifted to curl his body around hers. Her eyes were already heavy when he pressed a warm kiss to the bare skin of her shoulder, and a whispered promise of a happy future carried her off to sleep.

Many thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter of this.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonks sat alone at the kitchen table, admiring her engagement ring, tilting it from side to side and watching the kaleidoscope twinkles shimmer across the surface of the diamond. She couldn't take her eyes off it. The toast and mug of tea that Remus had placed in front of her before he'd left once again for Hogwarts to fetch the note that pertained to the Forest of Dean, sat untouched, the tea steaming less vigorously than it had been when Remus had placed a soft kiss on her lips, before backing away, an expression of unguarded reluctance marking his face.

Her cheeks ached from the grin which, despite the troubling investigation she would have to step up today, had refused to budge since she'd woken.

_Engaged_. Mrs. Remus Lupin, she would become.

She still felt inextricably entwined within the little world that only consisted of her and Remus. His proposal had been as romantic as any she could imagine; their celebration afterwards, as intensely emotional as it had been rather mind-blowing physically.

And then this morning, she'd woken to the warmth of Remus' body curled close behind her, his soft kisses on her neck, his hands splayed on her stomach and breasts, and his ring of promise around her finger. They'd barely shifted positions as Remus' hands softly explored her body, stirring delicious tension within her, and they made love with his arms wrapped firmly around her, his chest pressed against her back and their legs entwined, bodies moving slowly together; it had been relaxed and sleepy, and everything that morning sex should be.

It had reminded her waking of up the morning after they'd first made love, at the pink hotel in a room with a view across the Menai Straits. She'd opened her eyes to a vista of sparkling blue ocean and also to Remus' eyes, no less bright than the water beyond as it shimmered in the early morning light. Just as she did now, she'd felt enraptured then, consumed by joy and wonder at the magic -- of the variety which could not be learnt -- they'd discovered together, and continued to discover, day by passing day.

They'd only been able to drag each other out of bed this morning with the promise of a shared shower. Kissing and giggling, they'd somehow made it into the bathroom, where Remus had spun the tap on and stepped into the shower basin, pulling her with him. For what seemed like forever but in reality was not nearly enough time, they'd stood holding each other under the soft rain of warm water, its rhythm the only sound she could hear but for the beating of Remus' heart, so peaceful, so still, as she rested her head against his chest. Then Remus had stepped back, taken a soapy sponge, and run it carefully, deliberately over her body, across each curve of her breasts, his eyes intent on every movement he made -- a promise, a reminder of what he could do to her and how he could make her feel.

So it had been with palpable regret -- on both sides -- that Remus had left her to eat breakfast alone, though he had been typically insistent on making it for her, a thought which prompted her to pick up the slice of toast in front of her, because she liked the thought of wasting his effort about as much as he liked her spending money on gifts for him.

Money was one problem they still needed to work though -- she had never laboured under any illusions that it wasn't a serious issue -- and not in the sense that they would come up short financially. Their problem was the much trickier case of finding an arrangement that allowed Remus to keep his head held high.

Two years ago when, on the shores of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, after just six short weeks together, Remus had let slip that he loved her, practicality had been a background concern. She had a _man_ in her life, a wonderful, kind and sexy man; it was exciting and new, and while love may _be_ blind, it never blinded. It had simply been a concern she could store away until the time came, because when the time did come it wouldn't matter; she was certain that they would find a solution.

Now, munching on the last of her toast, Tonks was pondering over whether Remus would mind her buying a new dress for the wedding, as well a new pair of trousers and shirt for him, when she heard Luna making her way down the stairs, bouncing, apparently, judging by the excessive squeaking of the floorboards to her hum of a song Tonks felt rather lucky not to have heard before now.

"Morning, Luna," Tonks said as the girl waltzed into the kitchen.

Luna looked up, as though surprised to see someone else there, but her face almost immediately relaxed into a friendly smile. "Hello, Miss Tonks."

"Just call me Tonks, Luna, I'm not one for formality over breakfast. Can I get you something to eat?"

"Some toast would be nice, if you have any bread that's not made by gnomes." Luna plopped into the seat she had taken last night at dinner.

_Bread made by gnomes_? With a slight laugh, Tonks wondered if Luna headed up the gnome section of SPEW, though, she thought that was a bit of a stretch for Hermione. "You're against gnome-labour?" she asked, even thought she was fairly sure there was no such thing; she was engaged, she could humour the girl.

"Oh, no, I'm allergic to them," Luna replied matter-of-factly.

Tonks shook her head, and busied herself with the breakfast things, relieved that toast was the one meal she only buggered up four times out of ten. Luck was on her side this morning and a few minutes later the toast was browning nicely under a glow of heat from her wand.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked Luna.

"I did, thank you, except I thought a Doxie might have been buzzing around." 

Finally, a creature that Tonks had heard of. "We do have trouble with them here, every now and again. I'll get Remus to have a look later. We're going to take you to stay somewhere else tonight, though, a place you definitely won't have to worry about Doxies." Tonks reached across the table to place a plate of toast in front of Luna, whose face had adopted an expression of wariness.

"Where?" she asked. "I've heard about those places you Ministry people have--"

Tonks had _not_, and cut her off. "You know the Weasleys, I believe."

"Oh, yes," Luna said, not looking entirely as relieved as Tonks had expected. "I _think_ they're my friends. You know, at least Harry said _he_ was and Ginny and Ronald are friends with him so…" She trailed off, frowning.

"Well, I'm going to take you to their house, The Burrow, as soon as you've eaten and packed up. You'll find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley much better hosts than Remus and me. Proper food, for one thing," she said with a note of self-reproach about last night's forgetfulness, "and much cosier."

"I like Mrs. Weasely," Luna said, "she's always been very kind to me."

"They're a wonderful family, I have a lot of time for them."

Tonks took a deep breath and resumed her seat at the table, opposite Luna. Before he'd left, she and Remus had decided that Luna ought to be told of their suspicions about her father as soon as possible. Remus had tasked Tonks with the job, and met her protest that she couldn't handle Luna like he could with a single phrase of faith, that brooked no argument.

"Luna, while you're finishing your breakfast, there's something else I need to tell you."

Luna said nothing, but looked up at Tonks with interest as she chewed her toast methodically.

Drawing another breath, Tonks said, "Some of the things you said about your father have given Professor Lupin and me cause for concern. Just the day before yesterday, we got wind of a possible case that seems like it might be related to whatever happened to your father."

"Miss Tonks, I'm sure he's just gone hunting. Really, so much fuss."

"Luna, this is serious, listen to me, and you don't have to call me Miss. I think your father may have been placed under the Imperius Curse." Tonks moved her hands under the table and clenched them together in her lap to stop her fingers squirming in frustration.

"No, he can't have been," Luna said definitively, although Tonks could see the concern and doubt in her conviction rising behind her eyes. "He's just a little under the weather."

For the first time, Tonks began to wonder if Luna's strange stories were a self-preservation method to hide behind until life really did get dirty -- but then in the face of a truly dangerous situation, as she'd proved at the Ministry battle, her true strength rose to the surface, enabling her to meet and match the peers she fought along side.

"I'm sorry, Luna, really, but I'd never suggest such a thing as Imperius if I weren't sure. From what you told us, all the signs point toward your father is being controlled by the curse."

"Very good, Nymphadora. I'm mildly impressed."

The kitchen door slammed shut, and Tonks froze at the familiar, sneering voice behind her, which she'd hoped to hear again only so she could silence it forever. Then, she leapt from her chair, toppling it in the process, and spun, brandishing her wand, to face Severus Snape.

"Luna get behind me," she hissed, heart thudding with determination not to let on to Snape, beyond the upturned chair, that his appearance had rattled her -- especially in Luna's presence. That didn't stop her from flinging at him, "You bastard! What nerve have you to turn up here?"

"Lower your wand, you silly girl," Snape replied, sounding bored. "I take no pleasure in seeing you, but neither have I come with the intent to harm you."

Though Tonks noticed that Snape had made no move for his wand, she did not lower hers. "Why _have_ you come, then?"

"I must speak with someone from the Order, and since you are here, and it seems you already know a little of what I have come to impart..." His hard black eyes flicked over her shoulder, to Luna, who'd moved to right the chair Tonks had knocked over. " You will, I suppose, do."

Tonks felt wrong-footed, at a loss for how she ought to respond. "What makes you think that anyone is interested in what you have to say?" she said, trying to buy herself time, stepping to put her body more in front of Luna's.

"Because it is in the best interest of your cause."

_Our cause_, Tonks thought, _not his_. 

"You must realise I cannot trust you."

"Of course I do, do you take me for a fool?" he said, reaching into his robes. Seeing Tonks' grip tighten on her wand, he raised one hand in surrender and said coldly, "I am going to lay my wand on the table, and then I would like you to listen to what I have to say." 

He did so, and Tonks immediately Summoned it.

Still she did not lower hers, but instead gave it a quick wave and muttered a spell. Her enormous, beautiful Patronus erupted from the tip, carrying a short missive: _Grimmauld, now_. The silver wolf bounded enthusiastically towards the kitchen door, and out the corner of her eye, Tonks noticed Luna watching it with interest as it shimmered through the wood.

Tonks thought back, almost with satisfaction to the night, outside the Hogwarts Castle when Snape had called her new Patronus weak; she hadn't taken it well that night -- still too raw, too hurt, too confused and alone from Remus' departure. Now, though, head held high, there was nothing he could say -- nothing -- that would dent her pride or take as a slight on Remus, for it didn't matter what Snape thought. She and Remus were united, and that, at the end of the day, was all that mattered to her. She could rise above Snape, despite the contempt she could see gleaming in his eyes.

"I will not, however, give you any information in the presence of a non-Order member, especially one so pea-brained as this idiot. Who knows what ludicrous tales she would spin."

Indignation bubbled on Luna's behalf; the girl might be a little on the odd side, but she had, so far, proved herself loyal, and certainly had earned no such insult. But this was Snape -- Snape who took pleasure in verbally knocking people to their knees. She opened her mouth to speak, but Luna beat her to it-

"Oh, you can trust me, Miss Tonks," Luna piped up, leaning forward from her position behind Tonks. "I won't say anything. Hello, Professor Snape."

"Be quiet, Luna," she said calmly, even as she wondered at Luna's seemingly thick skin. "Snape, please, take a seat." Her tone was one of false politeness.

"I have no time for games," he said, not moving to obey. "Whatever you may think of me, I come on a most urgent matter and I must return to The Dark Lord soon."

"You murdered our leader, our friend," Tonks countered. "I should be calling in the rest of the Aurors, sending you to Azkaban where you belong." Keeping her voice from cracking, from revealing her two minds to him, was a desperate battle. She could not give in, allowing him the upper hand. This time, she commanded him, " Sit."

To her intense surprise, Snape obeyed this time, and she wasted no time in conjuring magical bonds to secure him to the chair. "You owe an explanation for your presence, Snape, not just your sheer gall for turning up here, but why we should trust a word that comes from your lips."

Snape opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get so much as a syllable out, she silenced him, not wanting to hear another thing before she could compose her thoughts, seek guidance from Remus about the best course of action because first and foremost, a murderer sat before her, a traitor, a Death Eater.

At that moment, Kingsley Shacklebolt burst through the kitchen door, his wand raised. "Tonks, what on earth…?"

Tonks watched his eyes fall to Snape, bound in the chair.

"You bastard," he spat.

"That's what I said--" Tonks began, but before she knew what was happening, Kingsley was striding toward Snape with a raised fist. Her cry of "Kingsley, no!" coupled with the sharp strike of Kingsley's fist connecting with Snape's jaw.

Tonks pulled him back by one arm, but he struggled with her, and looked back over his shoulder. "Tonks, what? This traitor mur-"

"I know, please, I need to talk to you, come here." She pulled him away, stepping backwards to the opposite wall without taking her eye off either Snape or Luna, who was standing, looking quite shocked, a few feet away.

Kingsley himself looked shocked, though Tonks could understand why he'd lashed out like that, she would have expected a similar reaction from Remus, had he been here -- which was why she was so relieved that he wasn't. Kingsley didn't have the same history and hadn't been subject to the same contempt from Snape as Remus. It hadn't half been satisfying to see Snape's head roll back from the force of Kingsley's punch, though, and the slight trickle of blood that was now making it's way down Snape's neck and into the opening of his robes.

In an urgent whisper she said, "I hate the bastard as much as the next person, but he says he has information and I've got this feeling we should listen to him. He knows something about Luna's father and that might mean he knows something about the Onocentaurs. Remus has uncovered precious little information from other sources; we have no choice. Please, can you guard him while I take Luna to the Burrow? I'm meeting Remus, there, and I can tell him what's happened and let him decide how he wants to proceed. It's Snape, Kingsley, you know it's his call, Order leader or not."

They held a quick, whispered conversation; Tonks told Kingsley the few details she had. Then she stepped back, watching Snape who was eyeing them with amused, if distainful interest. "Luna, quickly, let's run up and pack your things, we're leaving now."

Cutting a deep circle around Snape, Luna crossed the room to Tonks, who ushered her towards the kitchen door, casting a look of what she hoped was gratitude at Kingsley and a hard glare at Snape before she closed the door behind them.

As they made their way through the house, Luna, for once, seemed at a loss for words. Tonks was on guard, checking open doors as she went, keeping her wand stiffly by her side, increasingly unnerved by Snape's sudden appearance, and trying to swallow anger and indignation that he should present himself in the manner he had. It was hardly the way any of them had expected to cross paths with him again.

Tonks helped Luna pack the meagre supplies she'd brought the night before, then they made their way back down to the hallway. Before she opened the door, she turned to Luna and took both of her shoulders, fixing her with an serious, but earnest look. "Luna, I need you to promise me something."

"What's that?" Luna asked.

"I need you to promise me that you won't mention what has happened this morning to anyone, until Remus -- Professor Lupin -- or I tell you it's okay. It's important for people's safety that they do not know Snape has emerged, do you understand? There is a lot of emotion flying about and it wouldn't do to let that rule actions in snap decisions."

"Like that man did down there, you mean?" Luna asked.

"Kingsley, and yes, like that, or worse, when Snape isn't restrained. We know what he's capable of. Do I have your word?"

"Yes," Luna said, "I promise."

"Thank you." Tonks said, giving Luna's shoulder a squeeze. "Now come on."

A few minutes later, Tonks was rapping sharply on the back door of the Burrow.

"Who's there?" Molly's voice shook through the door.

"It's me, Molly, Tonks. I have Luna." 

"Tell me, dear, what colour was the scarf I knitted you last Christmas?"

Tonks felt a rush of affection for Molly, remembering the pile of gifts she'd woken up to in that lonely hotel room last Christmas, not only the scarf, but a pair of matching gloves, the traditional jumper, a stack of mince pies, which she'd later shared with Remus, and a selection of homemade cherries and strawberries, dipped in chocolate.

"It was purple, with green stripes."

The door cracked open and Molly's round face, slightly pink-cheeked, appeared in the doorway, a warm smile greeting them. Her eyes lingered on Luna, and Tonks knew she was thinking about that poor child, alone without a mother and her father missing. Molly know the basic details of Luna circumstance; what she didn't know was that Luna was taking it all remarkably in her stride.

"Hello Molly," Tonks said. "You remember Luna, of course."

"Of course. Hello Luna, come on and make yourself at home," Molly said in a mothering tone.

Tonks urged Luna inside with a guiding hand on her back and followed her in the door, which Molly shut firmly behind them and turned to give Tonks a quick embrace. "Can I get you anything -- tea, pumpkin juice? A little something for breakfast."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, but Miss Tonks made me breakfast not long ago. Is Ronald around, or Ginny?" she asked. Molly arched her eyebrows at Tonks in amusement, no doubt at the notion of Tonks making breakfast for anyone, or playing hostess.

"They're not up yet, I'm afraid, dear. Go and make yourself comfortable in the living room, while I have a word with Tonks, and then I'll see about getting them up. There are some books that might interest you, or turn on the wireless if you'd like." Molly pointed towards the cosy room through the kitchen and Luna, with a cheery "thank you." Trotted off in that direction.

Tonks walked to the kitchen table and collapsed in a chair, heavy under the weight of this morning's shock.

"Something happen, dear? Besides this nasty business with Mr. Lovegood." Molly studied her carefully.

"You could say that," Tonks replied ruefully. "I need to speak to Remus, he's not here yet, I take it." Tonks noted a frown of concern ghost across Molly's features, so she added cheerfully, "But don't worry, Remus will sort it."

"Oh, course he will, dear, he always does. He's not here yet, but I'm sure he will be soon. Are you sure I can't get you a cup of tea?"

"Actually, tea would be lovely, thank you, Molly."

As usual, the chance to entertain, to provide, sent Molly springing into action, her wand directing the kettle onto the stove, where it began to whistle almost immediately. Clearly Molly had been prepared for their arrival. "A biscuit, perhaps? Or I have some tea cakes."

"Just tea, please. Remus made me breakfast before he left for Hogwarts." 

"So how are things going with Remus? Well, I hope." Molly said as she levitated a mug of steaming tea in front of Tonks, who wrapped her hands around it immediately, enjoying the heat spreading through her fingers, despite the warmth of the Burrow's kitchen.

"It's going well, very well, in fact," Tonks replied softly, her eyes flickering self-consciously to the ring on her finger.

A gaze Molly apparently followed. "Nymphadora Tonks," she said, her voice rising in excitement. "Is that what I think it is?"

Tonks' mood immediately lifted, along with her eyes to Molly's, as her thoughts drifted fully back to her new status as Remus' fiancé; it was a timely reminder that whatever should happen, she would always have that to hold onto. She could feel her eyes shining wide and bright and a grin that wouldn't be alien on a giant spread across her face. She didn't need to answer, as Molly rushed to her and Tonks just stood in time to avoid tipping the tea all over the table as Molly pulled her into a crushing embrace.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you," Molly said, when she pulled back, holding Tonks at arms length. "And I can see you're happy. You dear girl, you deserve it, and so does Remus."

And then, Molly's eyes lit up in mounting excitement. "Oh, now, what'll we do about a wedding? We'll have to plan something lovely."

Tonks had been afraid of this, but didn't want to hurt Molly's feelings. "Actually--"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door, a knock that she knew to be Remus'. Molly gave her a look that seemed to say _not to worry, we'll pick this up later_. Which didn't have the reassuring effect Tonks though Molly had intended; several times this morning it had crossed her mind that it would be difficult to persuade Molly that a small, private wedding really was what both of them wanted.

Then Molly, having completed the security procedures she could never neglect, no matter how sure she was of the visitor's identity, was pulling Remus inside, and folding her arms around him, exclaiming, "Oh Remus! Tonks has just told me, well, I noticed the ring, congratulations!"

"Thank you, Molly."

Over Molly's shoulder Remus found Tonks' eyes and held them. His face still bore a distinct mark of understated joy. His blue eyes shone, his face was relaxed so the lines seemed less defined, his smile was small yet expressive and Tonks knew it had nothing to do with Molly's exuberant felicitations, and everything to do with her.

With a pang, Tonks realised that she was about to share with him half a burden she'd rather carry herself, and add weight to the lightness of his expression; but that was what they'd promised to do: work together, even if it hurt, because it would be easier in the end. Even so, she felt her own face cloud over slightly, and saw Remus frown in response.

When Molly released him, once again bustling about with the tea things, not even bothering to ask because he never refused tea, Remus ambled over to Tonks, stopping only when he stood very close to her. He put a hand at the back of her head, pulling her closer to place a gentle kiss on her temple.

"What's wrong?" he whispered. 

With a significant glance in Molly's direction, Tonks relied, "I'll tell you in a minute."

"But you're okay?" Remus said, massaging the back of her neck gently.

"I'm fine." She leaned against him briefly, wishing that the time alone which she would soon have to beg Molly's pardon for would be more pleasantly occupied than with talk of traitorous murderers.

At that moment, Molly handed Remus a mug of tea, which he accepted with a grateful smile and quiet thanks.

"May I see the ring properly, Tonks dear?" Molly asked as Remus slipped his arm around Tonks' waist, pulling her to him.

With a brief, but slightly coy smile up to Remus, who returned it and gave her a slight squeeze, Tonks held out her hand to Molly, who took it in both her plump, dry hands. "It's beautiful," she breathed, "where ever did you find it, Remus? Quite unique, I'm sure."

"It was my mother's," Remus replied, and Tonks was sure she could detect a measure of pride in his voice.

"And I'm sure she could have been no happier at your choice of bride to wear it, Remus. I wish you both the best of happiness," Molly said, touching Tonks greatly, and Remus too, if the straightening of his posture and his hand, pulling her ever-more securely against his side were any indication.

"She would have been delighted, thank you Molly," he said softly.

Humbled, Tonks added her own thanks.

"Now," Molly said, all business again, "I believe you had something you wished to talk to Remus about, Tonks. Why don't you both take your tea into the garden and take advantage of the peace and quiet before the rabble wake up?"

Tonks was grateful that she wouldn't have to interrupt Molly in full wedding planning mode when, even if she _had_ wanted her wedding planned, time did not permit. Stepping away from Remus, she plucked her mug from the table and then, taking his hand, led him into the garden.

It was a bright morning, though still a little cool as the sun worked to burn the last of the dew from the leafy haven of the Burrow's garden. Birds called merrily to each other from the trees, their song accompanied by the percussion of branches swinging in the breeze, and the light tinkle of water from the pond.

Remus' fingers were warm between hers; their palms and wrists touched, and she found it a focal point for comfort as she struggled to find to words to tell him what she needed to. 

Dumbledore had given Remus the chance to live the life of the true wizard he was, when others would have consigned him to the shadows, shunned him. Dumbledore had paved his path to education, to acceptance amongst peers, had given him a job, and, they both knew, had led him to her. It seemed that ultimately, the here and now, in the wake of the oath of engagement, was where both their lives had been leading to converge; the reverse fork, where two paths become one and the future maybe a path un-trodden, and into the unknown, but at least they knew the direction they had to follow.

Tonks knew Remus had always held Dumbledore on a pedestal; they worked together, yes, but Remus would always defer to him, out of respect and unshakable trust -- and out of humility. Unlike the relationship she and Remus had, which was one of equals, of open trust in a working partnership -- both at work and home, his love for Dumbledore was for a protector, a parent, a mentor.

And now Remus was at the top, the one everyone turned to: Order Leader, respected and trusted by citizens within his enclave, confidante to worried parents and frightened members in need of bolstering, and while she knew he found strength, comfort and counsel in her, she knew that, at the end of the day, he was still simply a man in mourning.

But within the hour, Tonks would have to take Remus into the Grimmauld Place basement to face Snape, which she knew, leader or not -- and through strengthened her place at his side -- would take a heavy toll on his heart.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you this morning. I didn't want to," Remus said, drawing her out of her thoughts. 

They stopped walking of one accord and turned to face each other. "I know you didn't," she said softly, running the back of her hand down his faintly stubbled cheek. "I didn't want you to, either. Something happened, though, this morning, and I'm actually glad you weren't there." She paused, still unsure how to proceed.

Remus features darkened. He must have sensed her hesitation when he said, "What is it, love? Tell me."

She took a deep breath. " Snape turned up."

She watched him take sharp intake of breath in shock. "He didn't hurt you?" His gaze travelled over her, urgently. "Is Luna all right?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. Luna's fine. Brave kid, seemed totally un-phased."

"Did you catch him?"

"Not exactly," she said slowly. "Although I do have him tied to a chair at Grimmauld. Kingsley's guarding him."

Eyes flashing, Remus asked how that had come to pass, and she explained to him, in more detail than she'd been able to with Kingsley. But Remus, too, was distressed, as Kingsley had been, and Tonks guessed that he would have come to physical blows with Snape, as well. He kept interrupting with hissed expletives, and asking how Snape dared…

"Remus, listen to me. He says he has information about the Lovegood case, that might just mean he has intelligence on the Onocentaurs."

"He murdered Dumbledore! Why would he help us now? He is no longer on our side." His voice was low and tight, his posture tense; fist clenched at his side, jaw set. Her heart reached out to him as she thought about the contrast of his angry countenance now to the defeat he'd exhibited, if only momentarily, in the hospital wing at Hogwarts at the news of Dumbledore's death.

"I know, love, I know," she said as soothingly as she could, trying to calm him. "And later, we can talk about that and decide what to do, but right now I need you to help me talk to him, to get whatever information we can out of him, if it's the last thing he does before a life in Azkaban awaits him." She tilted his chin up with a gentle hand to meet her eyes, seeking to reassure him that they could do this together. "I need you," she repeated.

Their gaze locked and held. He nodded, once.

Fiercely, they embraced each other in vice-like grips. Tonks' head fell to his chest and his to her shoulder, she felt his breath hot on her neck, and then his lips traced her skin as 'I love you' rumbled up from his chest.

She whispered back to him, letting him take his time to come to terms with what and who they were about to face. She whispered to him of her faith that he could do this; that they must lean on each other and face Snape impassively to gain the upper hand, and use Snape for everything he was worth.

When she felt him relax, she loosened her arms around him, and leant back. She watched as he rose tall on his frame, shoulders back, the posture of one determined. His eyes spoke of readiness to face the unknown, and admiration welled up in her to the point of bursting. Pride leaked out from her every pore as she prepared to take her place beside him in what would be a most difficult encounter.

They broke apart fully, and turned, their hands naturally slotted together as they started to walk across the garden and back toward the Apparition point.

It was uncertain what they might discover when they returned to that makeshift holding room in the Grimmauld kitchen, but in one thing she had unwavering faith:

Together, they would get to the bottom of this mystery, and then... _then_ Snape would face his judgement.


	4. Chapter 4

**Asinus Protego, Chapter 4**

Tonks let Remus enter the room first, so as to assert his authority and lead of the upcoming interrogation -- for that is what it would be: no friendly chat, no time for an exchange of insults, but an efficient questioning that yielded the highest return in the shortest possible time.

If he reacted to his first sight of Snape, she couldn't tell. He'd been very calm since they arrived at Grimmauld, merely giving her a soft kiss and whispered _thank you_ before throwing his shoulders back and heading down to the basement.

He strode to Kingsley, and they held a brief, whispered conversation before Kingsley withdrew from the room, shutting the door behind him. When he had gone, Remus drew back a chair from the table, and gestured for Tonks to take it, which she did -- after casting a locking charm on the door. When Remus took his place beside her, he rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands, steepled, and peered at Snape impassively.

Normally, Tonks would have placed her hand on his knee in support, or in exceptional situations -- normally during long Order meeting that bore bad tidings -- taken his hand and held it under the table, neither of which was an option today. So she hooked her ankle around Remus, because she needed to touch him, somehow, and she knew it would help him, too.

"Tonks," Remus said, turning to her slightly, "if you wouldn't mind." He gestured lazily towards Snape.

"My pleasure," she replied, drawing her wand and lifting the Silencing Charm she'd cast earlier, followed by throwing out an _Evanesco _on the magical bonds she'd conjured.

"So," Snape sneered, addressing Tonks as he rolled his shoulder very slightly, "the werewolf came running back, I see."

"The murderer came running back, as we have _already _seen," Tonks said casually, wondering if Snape knew there was nothing he could say to wind her up on that front.

"Let's not waste time on the niceties," Remus interjected. He turned to Snape with a fixed expression that was neither conciliatory nor, aggressive. "Before we move on to the case in hand, I -- we -- need explanations. More than explanations. Why come to us now, when it seems so clear, at long last, whose side you're really on? I'd rather do this without duress, but I shan't hesitate, should the need arise."

Without acknowledging Remus' words, Snape said, "The story is a long one. I shall endeavour to give you the pertinent details, and then you may question me further if you wish, and I am willing to answer. Agreed?"

Tonks thought it would be wise to agree. Snape was at their mercy, after all, and if they wanted answers later, by golly they would get answers. Remus looked at her through the corner of his eye and she nodded very slightly.

"Get on with it then," Remus said, his tone no-nonsense.

"About a year ago," Snape began, "Dumbledore started taking leaves of absence from the school, without explanation. I daresay no one would have noticed until the term began again, at which point he began to inform certain staff members when he would be away, but still he refrained from disclosing his activities and destinations...But I am getting ahead of myself. Not long before the term was due to start, Dumbledore returned from one of his trips gravely injured. He would not divulge to me where or how he came to have received the wound, but it was life-threatening. Once I'd stabilised him with a few carefully brewed potions of my own devise, it became clear to me that all that could be done was keep the effects of the injury at bay with a continued therapy."

"His hand…" Remus said.

"Indeed," Snape replied. "In effect, Dumbledore was dying, and he was well aware of that, it was not something I could, or indeed should want to keep from him."

"Dying?" Tonks said incredulously.

"That's what I said," Snape drawled.

"That's ludicrous!" she cried. "He'd have told us!"

"And so he might have, were it not for the events that followed only days later."

"Which were?" Remus still had not reacted to anything Snape had told them thus far. His expression was blank, his posture straight, and, Tonks knew, tense, though she doubted it was visible to anyone else, he was doing all right, coping, so far.

"The Dark Lord came to me with a plan. A plan that was tantamount to revenge against Lucius Malfoy for failing to retrieve the prophecy, and rendering himself useless in Azkaban. You will know, of course, that the only wizard The Dark Lord has ever feared was Dumbledore."

"And Harry, I believe," Remus added quietly.

"It is madness to suggest that The Dark Lord fears such an incompetent fool of a boy," Snape spat.

"If it were the point at hand," Remus said, "I would ask you then, why he troubled himself with an attempt on the life of boy barely past his first birthday, but since it is not, I will leave that point alone, Severus."

While this was really no laughing matter, Tonks could not help putting one point squarely on Remus' tally, and cheering inwardly for his ability to lay down a barb, leaving his opponent with no choice but to ignore or lay himself open to childish protestations. Momentarily, she tightened her ankle around his, hoping he understood her meaning. His eyes briefly flickered in her direction, and she knew that he had. They would laugh about it later.

Snape chose the first option open to him, although not without revealing how much Remus' words had bothered him. "Are you interested in hearing about the plan or not? I have far more productive things to do with my time."

"By all means, continue," said Remus with a wave of his hand.

"When the Dark Lord returned, he had two items on his agenda that were of highest priority: the retrieval of the prophecy and the demise of Dumbledore. One man's failure in the former led to his son's assignment of the latter."

"Voldemort asked Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, he did."

Voldemort had asked a young man not much more than a boy to overpower the greatest wizard of the age? It seemed ludicrous, foolish, even. Though, Tonks reminded himself, it hadn't been Malfoy who'd committed the murder…

"So where do you fit into this, Snape?" she asked.

"I'm getting there, you impatient girl. I did tell you this was a complicated story."

Tonks bristled internally, but tried not to react visibly.

"The Dark Lord did not expect Draco to succeed, though he did mark the boy as a Death Eater when he gave him the assignment. It was his other Death Eater at Hogwarts he expected to step up, once the boy had failed."

"That would be you," Tonks said.

"Naturally. When I was told of the plan, I did, of course, at the earliest opportunity, relay the news to Dumbledore. He did not react, but merely told me that under no circumstance what-so-ever was I to risk my place as spy amongst the Dark Lord's camp. It was, and I agreed with him, too important a position to risk, my intelligence has been invaluable to the Order, perhaps more so than any."

"Go on," Remus said, speaking for the first time in a while. Tonks wondered if he was thinking of his own mission, which he still perceived as a failure, whereas, in reality, it had simply been a lost cause. Though she thought the sting of that lessened with each day he spent with her, she knew it was still something Remus felt quite raw about.

"Not a day later," Snape continued, "I was paid a visit by Narcissa Malfoy and her petulant sister. Your aunts, Nymphadora."

"Technically," Tonks replied. "As you well know, it's not a relationship that's been acknowledged on either side during my lifetime."

"Quite," replied Snape, with an ugly curl of his lips. "Narcissa was highly distressed, wishing to speak with me regarding Draco's assignment. She begged me to help him. Bellatrix has always been suspicious of me, and that turned to open hostility after the failure to successfully deliver the prophecy; jealous, I believe, after her fall from the grace of the Dark Lord's right hand side, a gap I didn't hesitate to fill. She questioned my loyalty on all counts she rightly could have, for all of which I have practiced explanations, and used them effectively."

"Where is this leading, Severus?" Remus asked.

"To this: Sure that her son would die in the fight, Narcissa asked me to help, to look out for him, to make sure that he either succeeded or survived, and if failure and survival was to be his outcome, that I would step in and finish the job for him. She asked me to take the Unbreakable Vow."

Silence. Shocked silenced filled the air.

"You vowed to kill Dumbledore or die yourself?" Tonks whispered.

"You've got to see!" Snape said, sounding urgent and earnest for the first time. "I had no choice! Dumbledore's orders: do not compromise your position. He was of the opinion that I had done the only thing I could do, and that it was the correct decision. And don't forget that I've already told you he was a dying man."

Tonks looked at Remus, not caring for a moment about professionalism; his hands were clasped, white knuckled; his lips were set and pressed tightly together; his eyes were cast downwards. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Perhaps, like her, a war raged within -- several wars, actually.

In the first instance, could she believe this story, this fantastically spun tale? What if it was all a calculated lie to draw them in, once more, so Snape could reclaim his seat in both camps? Surely his post in the ranks of the Order was as valuable to Voldemort as the Order had found Snape's position as a supposed spy amongst the Death Eaters. And Snape himself had said that his lies to Lestrange had been well practiced. Who was to say he hadn't been standing in front of Narcissa each night for the last week practicing this very story?

Then there was the much shakier ground of how to feel about Dumbledore's orders and Snape's oath of the Unbreakable Vow. This seemed to amount to Dumbledore planning his own death -- waiting for it, expecting it...  
As though reading her thoughts, Remus' slightly hoarse voice said softly, "For a whole year, Albus knew he was going to die?"

For the first time, Snape seemed to waver, his expression almost crumpled as he looked down and said, in as near a tone of apology as Tonks had ever heard from him; he said simply, "Yes."

Silence once again descended on the room, even thicker and more potent than before. After a few minutes, Tonks couldn't help but reach out and lay her hand on Remus' thigh and giving it a slight squeeze; it wasn't the comfort she wanted to give -- she wanted to lead him out this room and up to theirs, hold him in her arms and let him take from her whatever he needed.

Small comfort seemed to be enough however, because Remus lifted his head and spoke quietly, "You must understand, Severus, that we need some time to process what you have told us, and that we may have further questions. What is it exactly that you want from us?"

"I had intended -- and discussed it, planned it so with Dumbledore," Snape said slowly, "that I would leave more time before coming to you -- to the Order, but recent events dictated that no more time could be spared."

"The Lovegood case?" Remus asked.

"It's more complicated and more far reaching than that, but yes," Snape replied.

"Please tell us what you know."

Tonks was a little surprised that Remus was allowing the change in subject and moving on so quickly, but perhaps it was as he'd said, they needed time to process -- talk about -- what they'd heard, and they really did need to find out as much as they could about their case.

"I gather from Miss Tonks that you are already aware that Mr. Lovegood, of the Quibbler..." His words were laced with scorn. "...is currently being held under the Imperius Curse."

"Correct," Remus said.

"What else do you know?" asked Snape.

"We have been able to surmise from speaking with his daughter and some notes I've found that there is a connection to the Onocentaur herd."

Tonks noted that he'd left out the Ministry connection, and resolved to ask him about it later.

"Good, that will save us time, of which I am now in short supply, if I am to retain my cover and return without the risk of being questioned. Almost as soon as he regained his corporeal form, the Dark Lord sent his servants to look for the herd. It is only recently that the search has yielded a return. It has been a great source of frustration to him that his men cannot get close to the herd without alerting them, and sending them, once more, on the run."

"But they have been able to follow them?" Tonks asked.

"Indeed. Maintaining a discreet distance, they have been able to track the herd from one forest to the next, ongoing for about three months now. When one attempt after another failed, it was accepted that they would be unable get close; they needed someone purer of heart, someone who had an interest in observing the Onocentaurs that wasn't rooted in personal gain, and once he was within a serviceable distance, he would be able to cast the Imperius himself, and lead one of the beasts away for capture."

"So they decided to get someone to do their bidding for them," Tonks said. "Mr. Lovegood"

"Yes. As Mr. Lovegood is well known as a fool in society, it was thought a little strange behaviour would go unnoticed -- perhaps an oversight given that the case is already under investigation by the Order of the Phoenix, and even his daughter, second only to the father for absurd ideas, felt the need to report the issue."

"Wait," said Tonks, "how do you know Luna reported it?"

"And there we come to the crux of the matter," Snape said. "You were overheard."

"Overheard? Where?" Tonks asked.

"Yesterday, when Miss Lovegood caught up to you in the street, you were being watched-"

Tonks felt Remus tense beside her, in his calf and his thigh, where her hand still rested. "Who was watching Tonks and why?" he said quickly, leaning forward.

"As touching as your concern is, Lupin, there is no need to get yourself worked into a frenzy. Your girlfriend is not the only one. All Ministry employees are watched leaving from the street entrance; there is an abandoned shop several doors down that serves as a spy post."

"The shop…" Tonks said with a groan.

"Quite," Snape said, the smallest of smirks touching his lips. "The latter part of your conversation was clearly audible, and a report made to the Dark Lord within the hour. And this is the important bit: the girl is in danger. Her head has been placed on the list of desirable hits."

"And, as I must leave you now, I will just say this: you must do everything you can to stop this from happening, there will be very little I can do except pass information when it is safe for me to do so."

"We are well aware of the gravity of this situation, Severus, do not mistake us on that point," said Remus.

"Good, then I will leave you to get on with your investigation," Snape said. "I presume I am free to go?" he said, his tone one of presumption despite his words.

"Yes," Remus said quietly, piercing Snape with his cold gaze. "Just one more thing … I don't trust you yet, and as such I am taking a great leap of faith in letting you go, and as you have indicated a willingness to work with us, I assume you won't be disagreeable to a meeting in two days time."

"That should be manageable. I shall send word. Do not reply. I suggest you do your utmost to make yourself available at the time and place I name."

"I will do whatever is necessary to close this case," Remus replied as he pushed back in his chair and stood.

Snape, too rose, then strode to the door, and grasped the handle; before he pulled the door open, he turned his body back to them but kept his face down to the floor. "I hated him. For the last few months, I hated him for what he was going to make me do."

Tonks was shocked at this display of vulnerability from Snape. Never had she seen him anything less than in control before.

"He gave me a second chance, and for that, he had and still does have my loyalty, and while I can be sure of what he would want me to do, I will continue to serve him."

And then he was gone; sweeping up the stairs, his cloak billowing behind him, leaving Tonks in a state of disbelief.

The front door slamming shut as Snape left the house brought Tonks back to her senses. She turned to Remus, who looked as though he was still working through Snape's parting words.

"Remus," she said, her voice sounding more plaintive than she'd intended.

He looked up at her, as though surprised that she'd spoken. He held out his hand to her, and she placed her own across it. He seemed to study her hand for a moment, running his thumb across the back, and then turning it over, lifting it to his lips and pressing the smallest of kisses to the sensitive skin in the centre of her palm, and letting his lips linger on her skin.

"Later," he said, pressing another kiss. "Let's talk about that bit later, once we've done what we can for Luna."

It was, she realised, what he needed to do: take care of the practical tasks that could measure progress before attending to their -- his -- own needs. She knew, too, that he neither wanted nor expected anything less from her than to turn directly to business, and to see to it as soon as possible would ensure that she could turn to his needs all the more quickly.

"Do you think The Burrow is safe enough?" she asked.

"For now, yes, I think so. Although Molly and Arthur will have to be made aware of the risk, and that choice is theirs." Remus lowered her hand but did not let go, but threaded his fingers through hers and rested them on his knee.

"I wonder," Tonks said slowly, as an idea began to form. "If we shouldn't stage something to give the impression that Luna is on her own again, and not in the protection of the Ministry, or as they've probably guessed, the Order, since I mentioned you in our original conversation."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, if we staged a meeting between you and Luna, outside the shop, you could argue about whether she was in need of protection or not, and whether her father was in danger. She could reiterate her explanations for her father's behaviour. You fail to convince her of the danger, and she leaves, at which point I can start following her, morphed, pick her up after a safe distance, and take her back to The Burrow or bring her here."

"You're brilliant, do you know that?" Remus said, his eyes suddenly a shining blue as he looked at her, in contrast to the stormy grey they'd been only moments before.

She was forcibly reminded of the first time he'd looked at her with such palpable admiration -- the night Harry'd been attacked by the Dementors -- the night that ought to have been a celebration of their declarations of love, but which had been cut short by duty to the Order, and instead she'd found herself hatching a plan to rescue Harry from his Muggle relatives while Remus had exchanged Owls with every Order member who needed to be made aware for that nights events.

She grinned at him, feeling the old spark of fun, of co-conspirators returning to their partnership. "Today, do you think? Or tomorrow?"

"I don't think we should wait another minute," Remus said. "Then bright and early tomorrow morning, we can decide what to do about Mr. Lovegood. We've left it long enough, it's time we started actively looking for him."

"Off to The Burrow, then?" asked Tonks.

"I think so," Remus replied as he rose, pulling Tonks to her feet with him.

Many hours later, Tonks and Remus were wearily climbing the stairs to her flat. They'd run into Kingsley at The Burrow, who'd offered to stay at Grimmauld to give them both a night away from the grim confines of the house, for which they were both immensely grateful.

They'd picked up supper at the chippy around the corner, and tucked under Remus' arm was a paper bag, emblazoned with the slogan 'The Great British Take Away' that contained a large portion of chips, dripping in vinegar and liberally sprinkled with salt and a large haddock for them to share.

Once they'd let themselves in and recast the security charms, Tonks turned her wand on the windows to let some of the warm, fresh night infuse the stuffy air of her too-long abandoned flat, while Remus summoned two dusty bottles of Butterbeer from a cupboard in the kitchen and unfolded the paper around their food, laying it on the coffee table.

Tonks grinned at the remembered normality of it all; a year of informal dinners, seated on the floor in her living room, sharing fish and chips or Chinese, or the occasional toasted sandwich they'd sometimes dared to prepare together.

"Come on," Remus said, holding his hand out to her, "let's enjoy this, and then we can get the serious stuff out the way before I haul you off to bed."

She settled down beside him, and he handed her one of the little wooden forks that always seemed perfect for chips, but did not fair so well when it came to eating a large piece of battered fish.

They chatted about nothing, and laughed as they struggled with their -- well, she supposed it must be called cutlery, although that seemed a bit of an exaggeration. Tonks told him of a few diverting stories from her time stationed in Hogsmeade -- and she had many to chose from, despite the doom and gloom that had descended in the current situation, as it was impossible to spend any length of time in an all-Wizarding village without coming across a few eccentrics every now and again.

Once they'd finished, Remus Banished the few soggy chips that remained and the paper to the bin, and lay his arm across the seat of the sofa, motioning for Tonks to snuggle up to him. She picked up her Butterbeer and scooted closer, nestling her shoulder under his, and curling her legs over his thighs.

He kissed her briefly, then chinked his bottle against hers, and said, "To a job well done and a most excellent plot."

The sting with Luna had gone as well as they could have hoped for. Having at last conceded to Remus that her father might indeed be in danger, Luna said she would do anything she could to help them in their quest to get him back. Tonks had decided that she was a terribly stoic child, taking everything in her stride, and beneath all the eccentricities lay quite a grounded common sense. And Tonks thought she'd detected a measure of neediness, too, that a large part of Luna's willingness to participate in today's operation had been to fulfil a sense of usefulness; for Luna had been nothing less than excited to have an active role to play.

In true Ravenclaw form, she'd risen to the task most admirably when it came to staging her argument with Remus. Tonks had watched from a bench across the street, disguised as a Muggle in her forties, pretending to read a novel. At a prearranged signal from Remus, she'd stowed the book in the handbag she was carrying and headed up the street, ducking into an alley to morph once again, this time into a teenager around Luna's age, transfigured her outfit into something more appropriate, and then waited for Luna to catch up with her. They'd walked on a bit further, turning into several streets until they'd come to a large Muggle department store, its windows full of large blue crosses. They'd entered and headed to the lifts, and waited until they were alone to Apparated back to The Burrow, where Molly and Arthur, on hearing about the threat to Luna's life, had been quite insistent she stay, given that many of the protective measures that had been installed after Harry's visit last summer were still in place.

"Now we just need to decide what to do about the other Lovegood," Tonks said heavily. "Do you have any ideas?"

Remus set down his Butterbeer and placed his hand on Tonks' knee. "I think we should go and have a look around the Lovegood's house, see if we can find anything about where, particularly, in the Forest of Dean they might be targeting. It's not exactly a small place, and heading straight there without any idea of where we're going would be foolish and a waste of time."

"There were no specifics in Dumbledore's notes?" Tonks asked.

"Nothing I could make out," replied Remus with a sigh. "He was never was much of one for committing things to paper. There is something I'd like you to take a look at though." He shifted slightly, keeping his arm tightly around her shoulders, and reaching into a pocket in his robes. He pulled out a tatty piece of parchment and handed it to her.

Tonks opened it carefully, making sure not to enlarge the slight splits in the paper in the corner of each fold. "There seem to be a number of Runes in the margins, and you well know how abysmal my Runes knowledge is…" He gave her an adorably sheepish smile, which she returned with a grin.

She pushed the table back and turned to sit cross-legged beside Remus, smoothing the parchment on the floor in front of her. She leant over it, reading Dumbledore's familiar swirling cursive script quickly and then tracing her fingers over the single rune on the page. "That's Algiz," she said, "Rune of protection and spirituality."

"Protection?" Remus says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it fits doesn't it?" Tonks said with a frown as she tried to remember more. "I seem to remember something else about it symbolising a hunt or something. Let's grab my book from the shelves." She took her wand and Summoned an old, dusty tome from the bookshelf in the corner. "Dad gave me this for my seventeenth birthday, said it was one of the few crossovers from Muggle to Magic, and he wanted me to have a little of both."

She turned the leather cover and ran a finger over the inscription in the front:

It was a simple, crudely draw Dagaz, the rune of transformation and of brightness, growth, progress and development. To her, it had been a simple message of his support for the career she hoped to pursue the following year, and had meant more than a thousand words strung together in the face of her mother's continuing disapproval. Along with the usual rush of affection she always felt for her Dad whenever she took out this book, whether for research or simply out of interest, came a pang of guilt; she'd not been home in over a year, and, she realised, it was something she'd have to rectify soon; she needed to take Remus home to meet his future in-laws.

"Tonks?" Remus said enquiringly.

She shook her head. "Sorry," she said, "I always get a bit sentimental over this old book." Then she laughed. "Right. Algiz."

Tonks leafed through a few pages, until she came to the simple Rune of Algiz, with it's straight Yew tree formation. She lifted the book and settled it so it half lay across Remus' lap and half across her own. They read together.

_Algiz illustrates both the antlers of the elk, and the shape of the sedge-grass herb. It also suggests the splayed fingers of a warding-off hand. It is a powerful rune of protection and, spiritually, it symbolizes reaching up to the divine. Algiz also represents success through endeavour in a hunt, quest, or other enterprise. _

"I usually find that the rune's deity is the most helpful place to start," she said. "See, Heimdall, here." She turned the page and read quickly, growing more excited.

"Are there any stories about the Onocentaurs having a horn?"

"Like antlers, you mean?" Remus asked.

"No, as in a bugle or something."

"Oh," Remus said, laughing, "no, not that I know of."

"Hm," Tonks said, "it seems Heimdall here is the guardian of the gods and will sound his horn when danger approaches, he has exceptionally sensitive hearing; it is said he can hear the grass growing. He is guardian of the Bifröst Bridge, which is-" she started to flick through the pages.

"The bridge away from the land of mortals," Remus finished.

They spent the next hour reading everything they could about Heimdall, his horn -- the Gjallarhorn -- the Bifröst Bridge and any related topic. They talked about the possibilities and how the legends they were reading about could apply to what they knew of the Onocentaur herd. Finally, Remus Summoned a detailed atlas from the shelves and opened it to the north end of the Forest. They agreed that their first port of call ought to be the existing bridges built by Muggles, since it was as good as any a place to start and they didn't have any other leads.

Of course, their search of the Lovegood house might well turn something up in the morning, but as Remus said, and Tonks whole heartedly agreed, it was good to have a back-up plan.

At that point, Tonks decided it was time for work to end, and to turn their thoughts to the issue they'd both put aside all day: Snape.

She asked Remus to uncork a bottle of wine she'd been saving for no reason in particular while she put away the books. Just a few minutes later, they were both curled up in their favourite position on the couch, and sipping on glasses of perfectly chilled white wine.

"How do you feel about this morning, Remus?" Tonks asked softly, once they'd both taken a sip.

He sighed deeply and, to her dismay, his posture, that had seemed so sure, so confident during their research and planning, drooped visibly. She was sorry to have to bring the subject up, but she had to know how he felt, and she knew that he needed to talk about it, and wouldn't bring it up himself.

"I don't know, to be honest. I have no idea what I'm supposed to think." He threaded his fingers through her free hand, which rested across her thighs. "As much as I'm loathe to admit it, my instinct is to trust him with caution. We can't say that we weren't surprised when we heard the news from Harry that night -- none of us."

"I know, but it's just so hard to come accept that at the end of the day, he did kill Dumbledore, even if we accept his story. I still can't get over what he said about Dumbledore expecting it for an entire year. Wasn't he scared?"

"No," Remus said softly. "Dumbledore would never be afraid of death. Dying at the wrong time, perhaps; dying for no reason. But, if Severus' story is true, I believe Dumbledore would have seen it as a necessity and, above all, an honour."

"It still doesn't make it fair, though," Tonks whispered.

"It doesn't, but we can't dwell on that. I don't think we can compare the value of two lives; I've been thinking about it all day, and all that I keep coming back to is what would Dumbledore want us to do? What would Dumbledore himself do?"

"Let's say, for the sake of argument that Snape is telling the truth -- and we should be able to confirm it soon, shouldn't we? When Dumbledore's portrait wakes up -- I think he would want us to forgive, and use every resource he's left us to continue fighting."

"You're right," Remus said with feeling, picking up her hand and pressing a kiss to it. "You're absolutely right."

Tonks gave his hand a squeeze and, after a few moments silence asked, "Are you okay?"

"How could I be anything but, when you're by my side?" His blue eyes met hers earnestly.

Touched beyond measure by his words, Tonks leaned in for a kiss; soft and slow and achingly sweet.

"We've had a long day," Tonks said against Remus' lips when they parted just slightly. "Do you think we ought to get to bed?"

"Sounds like an excellent suggestion to me," Remus replied, pressing one more kiss to her lips before breaking away and draining the last of his wine. Tonks did the same, and clambered out of his lap, offering her his hands.

They headed, hand-in-hand to their bedroom, leaving the wine glasses to be washed in the morning.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Many thanks to those who have left reviews for previous chapters, they are**** very much appreciated. I've been a bit lazy with review bribes for this story, so how about I dispatch Remus with a fish and chip supper to all those who put fingers to keyboard to tell me what they think of the chapter? ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Tonks woke to a pale dawn light seeping in though half-drawn curtains. Remus' arm was draped across her middle, but light snores told her he had yet to wake up; it was rare for her to be awake before him, and usually only when she had to rush off for a rare morning shift or on the odd occasion she stayed with him the night after a full moon. She liked watching him sleep; to feel a night time's worth of warmth radiate from him as he lay still; to see his face relaxed and his breathing deep, steady.

She rolled onto her side, and lay her head on his shoulder, nesting her face into his neck and wrapping her own arm around his waist, tucking her hand beneath him. He stirred slightly, tightening his arm around her with as she sighed in contentment.

They'd come so far in just six short days, she thought; from nothing but an admission of mutual need, through an understanding of trust, after which, day by day, piece by piece, their relationship has started to rebuild itself, and now, it seemed, every thing that she'd held dear of what they could find in each other had slipped back into place.

The nightmare of the last year was fading into the background. A feeling of wholeness had usurped empty loneliness; joy had mastered despair; days of work were bracketed by healing relaxation in welcoming arms, and well; satisfaction where a deep and painful longing for Remus in her arms, in her bed, had haunted her every night, kept her from slumber.

Impulsively, Tonks tilted her chin up and pressed a long kiss to the underside of Remus' chin.

"What was that for?" his sleepy voice rumbled up from his chest, startling her.

She lifted herself up on an elbow, and looked down at his face, watching his eyes blink open to reveal the blue eyes she loved so well. "Wotcher," she said, with what she thought must be a rather stupid grin on her face. "Can't I kiss my fiancé when I feel like it?" Her grin became even wider as she said the word 'fiancé'.

"Of course. I just wondered if I'd said something particularly charming in my sleep." Tonks laughed as Remus gathered her in more securely, slipping an arm under her shoulders and pulling her hips more snugly against his own, tangling their legs together.

They both sighed deeply in unison, content beneath their duvet cocoon under which they took refuge each night to emerge rejuvenated the following morning, only to find the day wore them down again, and the minutes were counted till they could be right back here, comfortable within each other's arms.

"You could always say something charming now, to make up for it?" she said after a while.

Remus strained to look at her. "Am I to take it that I'm expected to say something charming in my sleep?"

"Well, no." Tonks admitted. "But it'd never go amiss."

"How about something that's just simply honest, instead?" Remus asked, rolling Tonks onto her back and leaning over her, resting his weight against her.

"Hm?" she looked up at him in amused expectation.

His eyes roved her face; she felt his gaze touch her hair, across her cheeks and down to her mouth before settling on her eyes. "I can't wait to wake up with you for the rest of my life," he said, lifting his hand to cup her cheek.

Tonks closed her eyes, leaning into his hand, wondering how Remus could say these things -- words that would normally sound so corny remained utterly and wholly sincere; but she'd realised long ago that such lines were only corny if spoken with insincerity, and Remus was anything by insincere -- well, that was, unless he was being nice to Snape.

"Have you given any thought to what you'd like to be known as, after we get married?" he asked, moving his hand up into her hair and letting the pink locks slide through his fingers.

"A bit. Though I can't say that's not the product of a fair bit of day-dreaming from a while ago." She flashed him a grin.

"Oh, really?" Remus said teasingly. "How long ago, exactly?"

"Like I said, a while ago," she replied with a half-shy smile.

"And what were your thoughts on the subject?" His fingers left her hair to trace a path down the side of her neck and then trace indiscernible patterns high on her chest -- which Remus knew full well would very much hinder her ability or desire to speak a word.

"Well," she said distractedly, "if I'm Nymphadora Lupin, there's no reason people can't still call me Tonks as a nickname, even if it's not official, is there?"

"No reason at all, Nymphadora," he replied, as his fingers worked lower and lower, so slowly, so teasingly, as his lips at her neck joined in with his ministrations. They shifted slightly as her hands on his hips eased him to rest between her thighs.

"Don't…" His mouth dropped lower and closed over a nipple, "Okay, call me anything you want," she sighed.

Remus stopped what he was doing, drawing a faint noise of protest from the back of her throat. "Anything?" he said, looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"As long as you stop stopping what you were doing."

"I think," Remus said, dropping his mouth back to her breast, "that you have yourself a deal."

A few hours later, after stopping by to share a cup of tea with Molly, and to check on Luna, Remus and Tonks found themselves in front of a cottage, even more ramshackle and more cluttered than The Burrow. Its whitewashed walls bore a light covering of patchy lichen, windows frames were cracked and pealing around panes that had seen better days and certainly not a _Scourgify_ in recent times. Roses and wisteria, mingled with ivy, obscured much of the brick work and were doing much to disguise the run down air of the place, though a hard prune with a double strength _Reducto_ curse wouldn't go amiss, Tonks thought.

"Are there any wards on the place?" Remus asked.

"My own," Tonks replied. "They didn't have much more than an Anti-Apparition Charm."

"All of your own?" Remus asked slyly.

"Well, okay, all but one." One of the wards she had set on her flat was a charm that could be invoked only to allow her and Remus to move about in the building during emergencies, its trigger was a particularly intimate memory and they'd set the ward between them, after just a few months together.

They'd already made a tour of the small, overgrown cottage garden with the shed that seemed to be held up by its contents, and its mass of dog roses, brambles, with pitted green buds of fruit; vast swathes of love in the mist and spent foxgloves; they'd found nothing unusual or rather, nothing out of place.

Together, they reversed the protective wards, and then carefully, Tonks pushed the front door open to reveal a dark and cluttered, but apparently clean kitchen -- the scent of stale potions lingered in the air, mixing with the slightly musty smell of dust and the old books that were dotted in piles around the room. Both their wand arms raised as a precaution, Remus and Tonks stepped into the room.

"Looks pretty lived in," Tonks said in a low voice. "Do you want to see if you can find Mr. Lovegood's study, and I'll take a look around here?"

"Fine by me," Remus replied, touching his hand to the base of her spine. "Shout if anything out the ordinary happens."

"Okay." Tonks moved towards the kitchen table and began to sift though some of the papers that littered the surface. Out the corner of her eye, she watched Remus slip from the room, on his way upstairs. Most of the parchment seemed to be editorials submitted by various writers on a whole host of dubious topics; none, though, seemed to be at all related to the case at hand.

She moved on to the living room, which was no less cluttered, but distinctly warmer, and held a faint whiff of burnt wood and charcoal. Taking a seat on an old squashy sofa, Tonks pulled a stack of parchment from the coffee table into her lap.

Half an hour later, she sensed Remus' presence behind her. "Did you find anything?" she asked over her shoulder, hurrying through the final few sheets of parchment and sliding them back onto the table.

"No, nothing." He took a seat beside her. "I suppose it's next stop Forest of Dean."

"When do you want to go? This afternoon?"

"I think it would be wise to get this over with as quickly as possible." Remus replied.

Tonks sighed, and leant to rest her head on his shoulder. "It would, then perhaps we could at least have something to show for three days off."

"Well," Remus said, nudging her shoulder with his, "we have managed some pretty great sex, not to mention…" He took her hand and fingered the engagement ring.

"That," Tonks said, "is a very good point." She leant in for a kiss that she'd intended to be brief, but the barest taste of Remus as his lips opened momentarily over hers proved her undoing.

It was several long, unhurried kisses later when Remus broke off to say, "Did you check the fireplace for unburnt scraps of paper?"

"You were thinking about the case while you were kissing me like that? What am I doing wrong?" Tonks asked, only half-jokingly.

Remus laughed. "On the contrary, it was a testament to your kissing technique that I was trying to work out how we could possibly have this wrapped up by the end of the day so that tomorrow, we wouldn't have to get out of bed at all."

"Oh," Tonks replied, "in that case, no, I didn't check the fire, good idea." She lent in for one more kiss, and then dropped to the floor on her knees and crawled over to the fireplace.

"That, however," Remus said with an amused lilt in his voice, "is not a good idea."

"What's that?" Tonks asked, confused.

"Crawling with your very sexy bottom in the air. It's not going to make me at all useful." True to his words, Remus took a few steps from the sofa and knelt down beside her, placing his hand on her bottom and giving it a squeeze, making her squeal.

"Remus! The fireplace," she said, laughing.

"I did warn you," he replied.

"Only after the fact!"

"You're right, I'm sorry, only when it comes to you I simply can't help myself, and this morning is still rather fresh in my mind."

Tonks closed her eyes as his hand moved up, smoothing along the curve of her back as she rested on all fours. Suddenly, she, too was more than keen to get this finished so they could spend all day tomorrow, just the two of them, without thoughts of the Imperious Curse, or threatened Onocentaurs or young girls with their heads on Death Eater hit lists.

It wasn't to be, though, and the rest of Tonks' days off passed in a flurry of investigation and then she'd been back at work, jumping into eight straight days of shifts, spending mornings and evening on the Onocentaur case. Time spent with Remus had been nothing more than slipping into bed, exhausted, too tired to do much more than share the occasional lingering kiss or just simply hold each other until the oblivion of sleep over took them.

The Lovegoods' fireplace had yielded one heavily charred piece of parchment. The majority of it had been destroyed, but a small section remained intact, though tarnished by smoke. It was a diagram of what they'd since deducted was the river Severn and the bridges that transect it. Along with Kingsley, they'd been staking out each of the bridges as much as they possibly could.

Between the three of them, they'd decided to handle it within the Order and not involve the Ministry and the original report (which they now suspected had been made by Mr. Lovegood himself) so that Remus' involvement would not be compromised, and no time would be wasted bringing more people up to speed; in any case, they had no explanation for how they'd come into the knowledge provided to them by Snape. Remus had met him, as arranged, the day Tonks went back to work and once since, bearing the uncomfortable news that it had been decreed Mr. Lovegood would be 'dispatched' once he'd reached the end of his usefulness. Death Eaters had apparently caught up with him in the Forest the previous day and had renewed the Imperius Curse, and as far as they were concerned, everything was back on track and going according to plan.

The latter was good news for the Order, as it meant their diversionary tactics with Luna had worked and, thus far, they had managed to avoid detection in their reconnaissance missions in the Forest of Dean.

Still, though, Tonks thought, as she waited at the kitchen table, exhausted from having just finished the last of her eight shifts, for Remus to come home, the Death Eaters must still be on their guard, knowing that the Order had, at some point, suspected the plot, and every moment she knew Remus was out there alone, she worried. She'd have called the distraction of Ministry work a blessing if it hadn't precluded her from accompanying Remus for a spot of safety in numbers.

Eight days of low key surveillance had yielded nothing, yet Remus remained positive it was simply a matter of time, and they must persist in their search of the area, and resist any temptation to widen their perimeter.

Tonks glanced at her watch. Ten o'clock. He'd be home soon; Kingsley was due to take over at half past, and then Tonks herself would take a watch shift at six the following morning.

They'd not been together in five days and she was crossing her fingers and toes they'd could snatch an hour or two to themselves tonight. She didn't really care if she was tired for her watch shift in the morning; she could sleep while Remus took his in the afternoon. After a week that had been as intense in physical union as their first together after so long, she was feeling just a little bit desperate for wanting him.

She'd been home for a little under an hour, and, to pass the time -- and to save time later -- she'd prepared a couple of plates of cheese and biscuits and sliced a couple of apples. Her plan was for a little picnic on their bedroom floor -- or, to save even more time, on the bed. Flanked by a pair of glasses, a bottle of red wine was already upstairs on the dresser, uncorked to let it breathe, whatever that meant.

She wished she'd bought some paperwork home from work to keep her busy while she waited, and that, she thought, was saying something, given her usual attitude to paper work, which was along the lines of hatred with the power of several burning suns. Her thoughts, instead, turned to the case.

One thing still didn't add up: the one thought that all her uneasy feelings of doubt about whether the Forest of Dean was truly the right location to concentrate their entire force of effort upon. Dumbledore had written his notes months ago; Snape had said the Onocentaurs had been trailed from forest to forest for almost the same period, and the only thing holding it together was some educated guess work from a single rune. There was no lore they could find that connected the Onocentaurs to the Forest of Dean, no mention of them in the research that had spun, web-like from that single, sketched character on crumpled parchment.

They were missing something, she was sure of it.

Remus was convinced they were on the right track, and it was merely a case of waiting for a clue to present itself. Perhaps it was a mark of their respective experience. It did not injure Tonks' pride to accept that Remus had a few years on her in dealing with Death Eater operations; three years of Auror training were intended to provide the necessary knowledge to really begin to learn once let loose in the field, and she'd only had a year of active duty; even her first year in the Order of the Phoenix had not been much more exciting than a little espionage and the odd guard duty over Harry Potter or outside the Department of Mysteries.

So, she was quite willing to bow to Remus' wisdom, although she had taken him through her concerns a couple of times, because she knew that if her logic burrowed a hole in Remus' he'd be the first to acknowledge it. Thus far, he'd asked her to remain tight to the original plan.

A growing brightness in the corner of her eye dragged her attention away from her thoughts, she turned towards the kitchen door to see a majestic eagle: Remus' Patronus easing thought the wood. It soared towards her and stopped two feet shy. Remus' voice, hushed and urgent, echoed dully between the rough stone walls of the kitchen.

_Come to the Forest as soon as you can. I'll be waiting in the usual place. Be careful, we are not alone tonight. _

Tonks leapt up, as the eagle Patronus turned to leave the room. She did a cursory check of her clothes: sturdy boots, perfect for traipsing though the forest and gave her a fair chance of keeping her balance should a get away on foot be called for; shabby t-shirt and loose, but not baggy trousers that wouldn't be too warm beneath her robes, which she Summoned from the bedroom and hastily donned.

She hurried up the stairs, through the hallway and out the front door. With a quick glance around the square for Muggles, she Disapparated into the inky night under the faint glow of a waxing crescent moon.

Soundlessly, she arrived in shadow-darkened woodland, the moon just visible between creaking oak branches that towered ominously above her. Beneath her feet, moss formed a soft carpet that dampened her footsteps as she backed towards a large rocky outcrop and dropped to her haunches, leaning back against the stone, wand raised and eyes and ears alert. She daren't call for Remus; he was expecting her and would come to her when he could.

As she waited, forest sounds called ever more loudly through a blanket of still silence: owls haunted the night with their hooted greeting of darkness, as the very last of pale yellow light clung on to the western sky; the occasional gust of wind swelled in the tree tops, leaves whispering to the night time, a small mouse crossed her line of sight, quietly rustling fallen leaves in its path-

A twig snapped…

Footsteps…

_We are not alone tonight…_

Wouldn't Remus have announced himself more obviously?

She felt short of breath as her heart sped up, not permitting herself to take the deep breaths she needed, lest she give away her position. She readied herself to cast a non-verbal Stunner, her wand held close to her chest; a highly polished wand by the light of even the smallest of moons was not an advantage she wished to give any aggressor.

A few more footsteps shuffled forward, closer still … Approaching from behind.

Dare she shift to turn to her right?

And then relief, as a familiar bluish light caught her peripheral vision.

_Remus_.

"You great prat," she hissed as she scrambled to her feet. "Did you have to sneak up like that?"

"I'm sorry," he said, extinguishing the flame in his palm and walking up to her, still careful to keep his movements quiet. "I wasn't sure it was you."

"What made you sure it was me?" Tonks whispered back.

Remus positioned himself next to her, leaning back against the rock. "I caught the scent of your perfume on the breeze."

How long could you remain angry at a man who paid enough attention to notice something like that on a night like this?

"Are you okay?" she asked, still whispering. "What happened?"

Sliding down to the ground, pulling her gently with him, he said "I've found the Onocentaurs, and they granted me an audience."

"You've spoken with them?" Tonks asked incredulously. "How on earth did you manage that?"

For a moment, Tonks though she saw a ghost of unease pass across Remus' face, he looked down at his hands, wandless and pale. "They said they knew they could trust me."

"Is that who you meant when you said we are not alone?" Suddenly struck with the need to touch him, Tonks laid her hand on Remus thigh.

"No. Ramonsus, the leader of the Onocentaurs is certain that they've been followed to the Forest, though he thinks they are regrouping on the perimeter."

"Do we know how many?" Tonks asked, trying to stay calm and steal her nerves in preparation for whatever they might have to do.

"Three, he thinks. I'm going to assume one is Mr. Lovegood. If we are to face them, we must prioritise our actions." Remus placed his own hand over hers. "We must face the possibility that saving Mr. Lovegood might not make our primary objective."

"Then what is?" Tonks said.

"Our theories weren't far off," he replied. "They have indeed travelled here with the Bifröst Bridge as a destination, although they don't call it that."

"What do they call it?"

"The Bridge of Asinus. Although the legend is essentially the same. According to Ramoneus, the site beneath the apex of the bridge, which is essentially a magical force field that lies in the path of the Muggle bridge between two rune carvings, is where guardianship of magic was bestowed upon the Onocentaurs. That magic was performed by none other than Godric Gryffindor, in the latter part of the First Century. He invoked even more ancient magic to provide the Onocentaurs with a sanctuary, should life in the moral world become too perilous for the future of the magic -- only to be used as a very last resort. Ramoneus is of the opinion that now is the time to open the bridge; that the risk is too great, and that after almost a thousand years, it is time to consign the Onocentaurs to legend, but they need our help."

This time, Tonks did not mistake the unease that passed through him. "There is something you're not telling me," she said.

"Yes," Remus said quietly, looking down at their hands, still resting on his thigh. When he looked up, his face was troubled.

"What is it, love? Tell me," Tonks said softly.

"I want you to know that this isn't something I kept from you because I couldn't trust you with it; it's only recently become my secret to tell."

Speechless, Tonks could only squeeze his hand to encourage him to continue.

"Only descendents of Gryffindor hold the power to open the bridge. That means me … And now, it also means you."

"You … Me? You're related to Godric Gryffindor?" Remus nodded, and Tonks felt … Well she didn't know how she felt. "And me?" she asked, for lack of anything else to say.

Remus' eyes softened as he met her gaze fully. "As far as the magic invoked by Gryffindor is concerned, you are, to all intents and purposes, married to me. You wear my ring on your finger, you have declared your allegiance to me, and one thousand years ago, that was all that could be required of a marriage recognised in law."

"I…" Tonks started. Still wrong footed, but not at all because she felt betrayed by him withholding his secret, or even really surprised; she'd always know that a powerful magic lay behind Remus' mild-mannered exterior; she'd seen him at work and felt it in intimate moments.

Clearly mistaking the reason behind her shocked silence, Remus said, "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you before; I wanted to, many times. Especially since I've been at liberty to…"

"Dumbledore," Tonks murmured.

"Yes," he replied simply. "Are you okay with this? And your part?"

"Of course I am," she said firmly. "How could I not be? I'm sorry, I just don't know how to put my thoughts. All I know for certain is that I feel honoured to be able to stand beside you as your wife in this task."

"I am honoured -- and the luckiest man alive -- to have you." Remus' eyes met hers with clarity, honesty, and Tonks knew that they, collectively, were lucky to have each other; she'd never believed in anything more fiercely than she believed in them at that moment.

"I love you," Tonks said.

"And I love you, so much." His kiss was so sweetly intense that, in its brevity, it seemed at once to be over too quickly and yet, last a lifetime.

"We must head down into the valley soon," Remus said softly. "There isn't much time, and we would do well to finish the job before we have a fight on our hands."

"Of course," Tonks said. "What do we need to do?"

"The rune stones at each end of the bridge will reveal an incantation when we touch them. According to Rameneus, when we begin to read, the bridge will begin to form, with the youngest first, the Onocentaurs will cross. Beyond that, we don't know exactly what will happen."

Tonks nodded once.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked.

She twined her fingers with his. "As I'll ever be."

They stood together, and Remus led her to the edge of the valley, looking down over the river below. The western horizon was now as dark it was to the east, the tips of statuesque pines cast ragged shadows in the light of the moon. The air was still and warm, and felt thick with anticipation; the silence deafening -- with even the owls silent now.

"We'll Apparate to the western end of the Muggle bridge, where I'll leave you to walk back across. The Onocentaurs are waiting to the east," Remus said.

"Okay." Hands firmly clasped, they Apparated together, and in an instant, they were standing on the threshold to the bridge, high above the murky river, that inched slowly along its course.

Remus knelt and used his hands to sweep aside leaves and soil to reveal an ancient-looking flat stone set firmly in the ground; a rich, earthy aroma infused the air. "You need only touch your palm to this for the stone to reveal the incantation. I will send you a signal when we're ready to go."

He rose and took both her hands in his. "Be careful, Tonks. If the Death Eaters come, we need to hold on as long as we can and then Disapparate. When the last of the Onocentaurs has passed across the bridge, let go, immediately. I will come for you, and then we can meet up with Kingsley, who is keeping lookout half way between here and where the Death Eaters were last seen. He may already have Mr. Lovegood, but if he doesn't, we will need to look for him."

Tonks nodded. "You be careful, too. I fully expect you to show me just how much you love me when we get home tonight," she joked.

Remus' eyes twinkled though his frown of concern. He said nothing, but he didn't need to, she knew exactly what he was thinking when he lifted both her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Then he lent forward and pressed a kiss to her lips, turned, and began to walk across the bridge.

As she watched him go, Tonks thought how long ago it seemed since she'd been sitting in the safety of the kitchen at Grimmauld, waiting for Remus to return; how much she'd learnt since then and how unreal it felt to be standing at the foot of a bridge that lead to an immortal world. Time seemed to slow to a cruel sluggish ticking of seconds that felt like minutes as she watched Remus' form grow ever smaller across the ravine.

Her heart lept in her throat when she saw the unmistakable bluish hue of Remus' trademark flame glow in the distance, slowly, she knelt, knowing instinctively to touch the stone before her when the flame suddenly surged and died.

Words appeared instantly beneath her fingers, revealing themselves almost rhythmically in the rock.

"For Radhio will light this path, protect and oversee,

Journey swift on blessed hoof may be.

Gerbo will guide those of worthy steed,

And reward for selfless deed.

With the wind, Wunjo yields harmony,

For the rainbow of deliverance will come to thee.

With the will of Isa, this connection will hold,

To balance, to counter the danger foretold.

And Eihwaz, rotates as the circle of life,

To see the future and magic free from strife.

Sig and Tyr, we call on thee,

Please come, at your mercy mighty magic will be."

As Tonks spoke the last two lines, an ethereal band of light stretched the bredth of the valley; it grew brighter and widened, into a path of spectral luminescence. She watched, transfixed as it the first Onocentaur stepped up to cross, and others behind it, lit up in the glowing light of the bridge between them.

She held her breath as it stepped out onto the bridge, her hand still pressed tightly to the cool stone at her feet. After a few tentative steps, it increased its pace to a confident trot, and it wasn't long before Tonks, even from a relative distance was able to discern the youth of its -- his, she could now see -- body; his coat shone silver in the brightness below him. Behind him, others were now making the crossing; eerily, their hooves made no sound on the magical pass.

Within minutes the young Onocentaur was stood before her; his smile was warm and friendly, then he spoke, "The others will not have time to stop, but they wish me to thank you for your assistance, and bid you good luck with your crusade against the forces who seek to bring darkness upon this world. There is little our kind can do but protect the magic that flows within us, and this passing into the next world is our destiny. Tell our story, let it live on in magical lore, we will have served our purpose if lessons may be learnt. I must go now, a new world awaits."

After such a speech from one so young, any response Tonks might have felt woefully inadequate, but she said, "It has been an honour, and thank you for your sacrifice."

The Onocentaur swept into a low bow, rising slowly as a window of light appeared before him, with a glance back to his fellows, now lined up at intervals, spanning the length bridge, he resumed a swift trot, and within a few steps, vanished silently, leaving only fluid ripples shimmering in the brilliance before her. In a few moments, a second Onocentaur, this time a young female had disappeared in the same spot, and then one after another.

A horn sounded from the other side of the valley, and the Onocentaurs at once increased their speed, now cantering; their expressions fixed and determined as they headed for the window. The horn sounded again, this time louder and longer.

A voice whispered in the back of Tonks' mind: _the Gjallarhorn -- sound of danger approaching._

Tonks looked down, into the ravine, and her heart leap into her throat at the sight of several wand lights running towards them along the banks of the river. Looking back up, she counted four, five, six, seven Onocentaurs, still making the crossing.

A jet of red cut through the night, soaring up from below, over the bridge and falling away harmlessly on the other side. Another, this time heading dangerously, worryingly, sickeningly close to where she knew Remus was crouched; she held her breath, and only relaxing slightly when the bridge still held -- if he'd been hit, surely the connection would have been lost.

Just three Onocentaurs were left, but now the glowing wand tips were right beneath the bridge. Desperately Tonks willed the creatures before her to hurry. Just two left now.

As the first of the two approached, a elderly female, Tonks saw, with bile rising in her throat, that a beam of white light had now appeared directly behind where Remus stood, terror struck her very core when she heard the swish of robes behind her.

She screamed, "Remus!" as the female Onocentaur passed through the glowing light of the window that still shone brightly in front of her.

When the pooling effect of the light had stilled, she could see the last remaining Onocentaur, majestic, with long silvery hair, stopped twenty yards out before her, his torso facing out toward the river, his arms held straight out to his side, parallel to the bridge.

Before she knew what was happening, a booming voice echoed between the rock faces of the gorge.

She just made out the words, 'Asinus Protego' as a green shot of emerald flashed on the opposite bank, its twin cracked in her peripheral vision from behind her, and she was thrown back from the stone, the connection broken, she watched in horror as the Onocentaur tumbled from her line of sight, silently, as though resolutely without objection to his fate.

_Ramoneus_, she though, in an odd moment of clarity that gave way to the realisation that she was surrounded by the most powerful Shield Charm she'd ever seen, and the green jet of light she'd known was heading her way had not hit; she was surrounded by a thick, protective bubble of magical essence. Scrambling to her feet, adrenalin coursing palpably through her veins, pounding in her neck and in her chest, she Disapparated back to the rocky outcrop where tonight's adventures had begun, straight into Remus' waiting arms.

It was barely another second before she felt the pull of Apparition again, and moments later she knew they'd left the Forest.

In the early hours of that morning, Remus and Tonks sat side by side on their bed in Grimmauld Place; shoulder to shoulder, thighs and calves pressed together, arms locked and fingers entwined. Tonks didn't really remember making it from the front steps to their bedroom, just the solid reality of Remus' arms around her as they'd slid to the floor against the door the moment it had clicked shut.

What she could remember with startling detail was Remus' shaking body as he held her tightly; she'd never seen him so rattled, not even when she'd finally found him last April, after the attack on the Montague boy, and that, as much as anything, confirmed how close they'd come tonight to losing everything, and what would have been lost but for the selfless act of the eldest Onocentaur, and she cried for him, too, hot tears sliding down her face in a marriage of sorrow and relief.

Eventually, Remus had put his fingers under her chin, lifting her head from his chest, and told her she ought to get into bed. She'd allowed him to help her up and had only protested slightly as he helped her off with her clothes and into her pyjamas before disappearing downstairs to fetch them each a stiff shot of brandy.

It was only after a few sips that she'd found the presence of mind to ask him what had happened to Mr. Lovegood -- if they'd found him or had been forced to leave him to his death. Remus had told her gently that Kingsley had been able to intercept him on his way into the Forest, without the knowledge of the Death Eaters, who, they assumed, had believed themselves to be following him towards the bridge. Remus had Apparated to the outcrop to find Kingsley's Patronus waiting for him, relaying the news in a few short words.

With a shaky sigh, Tonks swallowed the last of her brandy and placed the empty glass on her bedside table. Remus followed suit, and then, gathering her to him, slid them both down the bed, pulling the duvet up to their chins and then wandlessly extinguished the candles.

She felt, rather than heard Remus' whispered _I love you,_ before exhaustion carried her off to sleep.

The next morning, Tonks woke slowly to the realisation that she was alone in bed. Concern peeked as the events of the previous night came rushing back in a steady flow of snap shot images. She turned to face the empty side of the bed to find a note folded on the pillow. Rolling onto her stomach, she propped herself up on her elbows and picked up the parchment, with Remus' untidy scrawl printed across the front.

My dearest Nymphadora,

I am sorry to be leaving you to wake alone, I'm sitting at the desk watching you sleep and as tempting as it is to crawl back into bed with you, I must set out to run a couple of errands that will leave the day free for us to spend together, uninterrupted.

I will be back by one o'clock, and would very much like to take you out for the afternoon.

All my love,

Remus

xx

Smiling to herself, Tonks ran her fingers over Remus' signature and the two kisses beneath, feeling sure he'd touched his lips there before leaving the note beside her. She glanced behind her to the clock on the wall above the dresser, it was midday. Just enough time and at the same time entirely too much time; she couldn't wait to spend a day thinking about nothing but him.

After passing some time daydreaming about what they might get up to and where Remus might be taking her, Tonks dragged herself out of bed. She drew back the curtains to find clear blue skies and the sun beaming hotly through the window. She dressed carefully, pulling on her favourite set of sunshine yellow bra and knickers that went perfectly below her pale yellow knee-length sundress, embroidered in a delicate pattern of daisies. She morphed her hair into Remus' favourite shade of pink and dug out a pair of white sandals from the wardrobe.

As a finishing touch she fastened a simple silver chain with a rose quartz pendent that Remus had given her for her birthday two years ago. Then, feeling far too cheerfully dressed for the dreary house, she headed downstairs to wait for him, settling on the stairs in the hallway so she'd be there to greet him when he arrived.

She didn't have long to wait, and before she knew it, she was once again wrapped snugly in Remus' armed, surrendered to the pull of Apparition.

It was with a shock, though, that she realised Remus had brought her to the same rocky outcrop on which the nightmare of last night had begun and ended.

"Remus," she said, with hesitation.

"It's okay, love. It's safe now," he said soothingly. "I met with Severus this morning and the Death Eaters concerned have already been summoned by Voldemort himself to face punishment for their failure."

"Oh," Tonks said, feeling confused. "Why are we here?"

"I want to show you something," he replied, taking her hand and leading her towards a path that led away from the river.

They walked in comfortable silence. Tonks began to relax as she realised how different, how much less threatening the Forest was by the light of day. Birds sang in the trees; branches dancing in the breeze were soothing rather than threatening. Every now and again they came across a clearing that seemed to be packed full of sunbeams that beat down on them, warming Tonks to the very tips of her toes.

Eventually, they came to a junction in the path where two paths converged into a single, narrow one that stretched on before them, to a sharp bend. They followed it.

When they rounded the corner, Tonks gasped, and stopped mid-step. Not fifty yards in front of them stood the most idyllic, picturesque little chapel she'd ever seen. Brick built, with an apex roof tiled in slate, it was nestled perfectly between two ancient yew trees. She turned to Remus who was drawing something out of the pocket of his robes.

"I also went to get this, this morning," he said, holding a piece of Muggle paper out to her.

She took it with shaking hands and opened it…

_A marriage licence. _

"I realise I should have involved you in choosing the location for our wedding … And perhaps the day, too," he added with a chuckle. "But what do you think?"

"Remus, I … It's perfect, I don't know what to say," she said.

"Just say yes," he replied, stepping closer and lifting a hand to her face. "Just say yes," he murmured again, scuffing her cheek with his thumb.

"Yes," she whispered back, leaning in to kiss him for the last time as Nymphadora Tonks.

**The End**

* * *

_**Author's Notes: And that concludes Asinus Protego, I do hope you've enjoyed it. Many thanks for reading and to those who've left reviews for previous chapters. Unfortunately, now that Remus is married off, I cannot, in all good conscience, offer to send him round for any kind of bribe-worthy activity, so perhaps this time reviewers would like the opportunity to serve as witness at the wedding, which I do intend to write as a short outtake at some point. **_

_**I'd like to take the opportunity once again to thank my truly awesome beta, MrsTater, for all the help and encouragement she gave me with this fic, and for listening to me cry, 'I'll never get it finished in time!' like a broken record for a solid month. **_

_**This fic was finished just a few hours before Deathly Hallows hit the shelves, if you're looking for some more last minute R/T fic, you'll find a whole host of stories on the Last Chance Full Moon Showdown master list at MetamorFicMoon at Live Journal, as well as some wonderful R/T fan art. You'll find a link to Meta at my Livejournal, which is the homepage in my profile. And, while I'm pimping, the next fic event, The All Hallows' Moon Jumble, will be taking sign-ups very soon, so keep an eye out!**_


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